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A decolonized museum exhibit curated by Nicole Antionette Robinson

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Overview:
This exhibit explores how ancient peoples across Africa, the Americas, and the Caribbean used art as a form of spiritual expression, cultural survival, and community identity. Spanning thousands of years and vast geographies, each object in this collection offers a glimpse into the ceremonial lives of its creators, how they honored the divine, marked sacred rituals, and embedded meaning into materials as humble as clay or as vibrant as feathers.

From the powerful deities carved into Bolivia’s Gateway of the Sun to the delicate feathers sewn onto miniature garments in ancient Peru, these works are more than artistic achievements; they are echoes of belief systems, ancestral memory, and communal strength. Despite differences in time and place, a shared thread of reverence, resilience, and ritual unites them.

This exhibit invites visitors to reconsider what is often left out of traditional museum spaces: the spiritual and ceremonial dimensions of non-Western art, and the ways in which these cultures created with purpose, power, and meaning long before the colonial encounter.

When entering this museum, please remember: This is not just a collection of objects, it’s a celebration of survival. These works echo with the strength of communities who have endured colonization, displacement, and erasure. Their stories still move, breathe, and resist.

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Algeria

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIiriRgEHN8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NUjDKOiyas

Egypt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uDY6hEYfPc

Puerto Rico

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUPwUDdCel4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_P0xEmkA1wo

Peru

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I81QN7Dzgfc

Niger

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhJRga1uM5E&list=PL9C43786D618B8877

Mexico

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWlJAqcMoW0

Dominican Rep.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXmZ-g5Jiv8

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1. Running Horned Woman: c. 6,000–4,000 B.C.E.

2. Namer Palette: c. 3100 BCE

3. Gateway of the Sun: c.375-500

4. Great Goddess of Teotihuacan: c. 100–650 CE

5. Miniature Feathered Dress: 600-900 CE

6. Zemi Cohoba: 1000 CE

7. Masked Figure Pendant: 1000 CE

8. Djenne Style Equestrian: 1200-1400 CE

9. Trigonolito: 1000–1500 CE

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Location: Algeria

Date: c. 6,000–4,000 B.C.E.

Culture: Prehistoric Saharan (Neolithic North Africa)
Medium: Pigment on rock

Description: This rock painting, located in the Tassili n’Ajjer plateau in the central Sahara, depicts a dynamic female figure adorned with body paint, elaborate horned headgear, and ceremonial dress. Known as the “Running Horned Woman,” the image is believed to represent a supernatural being or a figure of spiritual significance, possibly linked to ritual or religious practices.

The intricate details, such as dotted body markings and the fluidity of motion, reflect the symbolic and ceremonial functions of art in early African societies. This piece offers insight into early expressions of identity, movement, and sacred power, themes that resonate with later African and Afro-Caribbean traditions that emphasize performance, costume, and spirituality as central elements of cultural life.

Sources of media:

Textbook: Chapter 2: Page:54

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Location: Egypt

Date: c. 3100 BCE

Culture: Ancient Egyptian

Material: Siltstone (greywacke)

Description: This ceremonial slate stone commemorates the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under King Narmer, a pivotal moment in Egyptian history. Carved with intricate reliefs, the palette features Narmer wearing the crowns of both regions, symbolizing his power and control. On one side, the king is depicted in triumph over his enemies, reinforcing his divine right to rule. The detailed imagery and hieroglyphs represent not just political dominance but also the early development of Egyptian identity, monarchy, and divine kingship.

Sources of Media:

Textbook: Chapter: 4 Page: 85

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Location: Bolivia

Date: c.375-500

Culture: Tiwanaku
Medium: Andesite (stone)

Description:
Carved from a single block of stone, the Gateway of the Sun is one of the most iconic monuments of the Tiwanaku civilization. Located at nearly 13,000 feet above sea level near Lake Titicaca, this monumental structure features a central figure often interpreted as a deity, surrounded by winged attendants. Scholars believe the carvings may relate to a calendar system or spiritual cosmology. Positioned within a sacred ceremonial complex, the gateway likely played a role in religious or astronomical practices. Its precise craftsmanship and enduring symbolism reflect the artistic and spiritual sophistication of the Tiwanaku people.

sources:

Textbook: Chapter 11: Page 203

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Location: Teotihuacan, Mexico
Date: c. 100–650 CE
Culture: Aztec Civilization
Medium: Mural painting (pigments on plaster)

Description:

Arms outstretched and richly adorned in an elaborate bird headdress and fanged nose pendant, this towering figure watches over the people of Teotihuacan from the upper register of a vibrant mural. Known today as the “Great Goddess of Teotihuacan,” this mysterious deity first came to scholarly attention in the 1970s when researchers like Peter Furst and Esther Pasztory began identifying recurring features: spiders, descending streams of water, mirrors, and outstretched hands that suggest a powerful divine presence across various mural sites.

Discovered in the Tepantitla compound in 1942, this mural’s top half depicts the goddess as a life-giver or protector, while the bottom half shows civilians and possible underworld imagery, hinting at a dual role encompassing fertility, death, and the afterlife. Though some scholars like Karl Taube have dubbed her the “Teotihuacan Spider Woman,” and others argue the imagery may represent multiple deities, the prevailing view sees her as a central, complex figure in Teotihuacan cosmology.

This artwork not only challenges the Eurocentric idea of male-dominated pantheons but also reclaims the monumental role of feminine divinity in ancient city-states. Her commanding yet enigmatic presence invites visitors to consider how ancient Mesoamerican cultures conceived of power, nature, and the sacred beyond Western frameworks.

Sources:

Textbook: Chapter 12, page 215

https://historicalmx.org/items/show/77

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Location: Peru

Date: 600-900 CE

Culture: Nasca or Ica, Peru
Medium: Scarlet macaw and Amazon parrot feathers on cotton

Description: Made by featherwork specialists in ancient Peru, this miniature garment, crafted from vibrant red and green bird feathers, likely served a ritual purpose. Though it mimics full-sized dresses worn by women, its sewn-shut seams suggest it wasn’t meant to be worn. Instead, it may have functioned as a symbolic gift in a spiritual or ceremonial context, known as a “votive offering.” These offerings were placed in sacred spaces to honor deities, seek blessings, or express devotion. Each clipped feather was carefully tied to a string and sewn onto a cotton base with remarkable precision. These small-scale textiles reflect the immense value of feathers in Pre-Columbian culture, where color, rarity, and craftsmanship conveyed spiritual meaning and social prestige.

Source:

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/312246

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Location: Dominican Republic

Date: 1000 CE
Culture: Taíno
Medium: Guaiacum wood, shell

Description:
This intricately carved wooden figure, known as a zemí, played a central role in Taíno spiritual ceremonies in the Caribbean around 1000 CE. Used as a stand during rituals, it held cohoba, a sacred hallucinogenic substance. Participants would inhale the cohoba to communicate with deities and ancestors. The figure's emaciated appearance and tearful eyes may symbolize the physical effects of the ritual or a state of spiritual transformation. The exceptional preservation of this piece suggests it was highly revered, possibly passed down through generations before being placed in a cave, a common practice for safeguarding sacred objects

Source:

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/312602

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Location: Colombia

Date: 1000 CE

Culture: Tairona (Pre-Columbian Colombia)

Material: Cast gold

Description: This gold pendant, created by the Tairona people of ancient Colombia, depicts a seated male figure adorned with an elaborate headdress and jewelry, suggesting high status or ritual importance. Crafted using the lost-wax casting technique, the figure’s stylized form and detailed regalia point to the Tairona’s advanced metalworking skills and their emphasis on symbolic dress and power. Such pendants were likely worn by elite individuals during ceremonies, serving not only as adornment but also as a spiritual or political emblem within the community.

Sources:

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/316691

Textbook: Chatper 30 Page: 506

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Location: Niger

Date: 1200-1400 CE
Culture: Djenne (Malian civilization)

Material: Terracotta (fired clay)

Description: This terracotta sculpture from the Djenne people of Mali shows a rider on horseback, with a beard, helmet, and quiver of arrows. The detailed decoration of both the man and horse suggests this figure wasn’t made for battle scenes, but instead to represent something more ceremonial or symbolic. Equestrian figures like this may have shown someone with high status, a spiritual protector, or a leader connected to the powerful Mali Empire. Even though buildings from this time haven’t survived, this carefully crafted piece gives us a glimpse into the rich culture and artistry of medieval West Africa.

Sources:

Textbook: Chapter: 25 Page: 425

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Location: Puerto Rico

Date: 1000–1500 CE

Culture: Taíno, Caribbean (present-day Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, Cuba)
Medium: Stone

Description: This anthropomorphic three-pointer stone, called a trigonolito, was a sacred object among the Taíno people. Often carved with expressive human or animal faces, such stones were placed in agricultural fields (conucos) to promote fertility and used in ritual practices linked to reproduction and cosmic balance. This particular stone features bulging eyes, a broad open mouth, and a sharply defined nose, stylistic traits echoed in other Taíno ceremonial carvings like zemís and duhos. These forms were not only artistic; they connected the living to the spirit world and the land that sustained them.

Sources:

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/317826