µ˙The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston TRAVEL THE...

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15 Works of Art Kids and Families Won’t Want to Miss! Visit these works of art in any order you wish. As you are looking, please remember not to touch or get too close to any works of art. To learn more about family programs and resources, visit www.mfah.org/families. Some works of art may not be on view the day of your visit. μ˙The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston TRAVEL THE WORLD AT THE MFAH 1. Ghana: Staff Finial of a Man Climbing a Tree Assisted by a Second Man African Art Galleries (201M) This staff tells a story with a message, called a proverb. All who saw these gold figures would understand the proverb it told about the Akan chief’s power and responsibilities: “If you climb a good tree, you get a push,” meaning “If your goals are good, people will support you.” Look for other staffs in this gallery and read their labels to discover more proverbs! 2. Indonesia: Headdress Indonesian Art Galleries (102M) Can you imagine how you would feel if you were wearing this elaborate gold headdress? This object would have been worn by a wealthy woman on her wedding day, and as she walked the chains and spangles would have dangled down the back of her head and made a musical sound. 3. Korea: For the Worshipers Arts of Korea Gallery (104M) What is the first thing you notice about this sculpture? Blue sequins, which look like fish scales, cover this statue of Buddha, the spiritual leader of those who practice the Buddhist religion. By placing ordinary blue sequins on a spiritual object, the artist Noh Sang Kyoon is giving us a big question to think about—how do religious ideas and our everyday lives affect each other? 4. India: Sarasvati Arts of India Galleries (106M) As you look carefully at this sculpture, can you find musical instruments being played, including a flute and drum? This sculpture shows Sarasvati, the Hindu goddess of wisdom, music, and the arts. Express your own creativity by composing a simple song about her, or craft a short poem with beautiful, expressive language. 5. Costa Rica: Ceremonial Grinding Stone Pre-Columbian Art Galleries (205M) When you look carefully at works of art, you may be surprised at what you find! Look at this object and find the head of a jaguar, an animal admired for its strength and size in tropical Central America. Can you find two small cats carved on the jaguar’s head? 6. Iran: Incense Burner in the Shape of a Lion Arts of the Islamic World Gallery (111) This object was used to burn incense in the 12th century, almost 1,000 years ago. Take a careful look at the metal designs on the lion. When incense burned inside this sculpture, how do you think its sweet-smelling smoke would escape? 7. Papua New Guinea: Crocodile Oceanic Art Galleries (100, North Foyer) What is missing on this crocodile? It doesn’t have feet! During special ceremonies, men made it dance by placing poles through the holes in its side. Long, narrow crocodile sculptures are the most sacred objects of the Karawari peoples in Papua New Guinea, representing beings that created the world. Can you also find birds, human faces, and water designs carved into the wood? 8. America: Jar (Olla) with Geometric Designs Native American Art Galleries (Lower Brown Corridor) This pot, made by a person in the Mimbres community of New Mexico, is decorated with many different shapes and lines. On this pot and others nearby, can you find patterns that are created with straight, curved, and zig-zag lines? Can you see repeating shapes, like triangles and squares? Which pattern do you like the best? The Caroline Wiess Law Building 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Family Programs at the MFAH receive generous support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Transcript of µ˙The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston TRAVEL THE...

15 Works of Art Kids and Families Won’t Want to Miss!Visit these works of art in any order you wish. As you are looking, please remember not to touch or get too close to any works of art. To learn more about family programs and resources, visit www.mfah.org/families.

Some works of art may not be on view the day of your visit.

µ˙The Museum of Fine Arts, HoustonTRAVEL THE WORLD AT THE MFAH

1. Ghana: Staff Finial of a Man Climbing a Tree Assisted by a Second Man African Art Galleries (201M)This staff tells a story with a message, called a proverb. All who saw thesegold figures would understand the proverb it told about the Akan chief’spower and responsibilities: “If you climb a good tree, you get a push,” meaning “If your goals are good, people will support you.” Look for otherstaffs in this gallery and read their labels to discover more proverbs!

2. Indonesia: Headdress Indonesian Art Galleries (102M)Can you imagine how you would feel if you were wearing this elaborate gold headdress? This object would have been worn by a wealthy woman on her wedding day, and as she walked the chains and spangles wouldhave dangled down the back of her head and made a musical sound.

3. Korea: For the Worshipers Arts of Korea Gallery (104M) What is the first thing you notice about this sculpture? Blue sequins, which look like fish scales, cover this statue of Buddha, the spiritual leader of those who practice the Buddhist religion. By placing ordinary blue sequinson a spiritual object, the artist Noh Sang Kyoon is giving us a big question tothink about—how do religious ideas and our everyday lives affect each other?

4. India: Sarasvati Arts of India Galleries (106M)As you look carefully at this sculpture, can you find musical instrumentsbeing played, including a flute and drum? This sculpture shows Sarasvati,the Hindu goddess of wisdom, music, and the arts. Express your own creativity by composing a simple song about her, or craft a short poem with beautiful, expressive language.

5. Costa Rica: Ceremonial Grinding Stone Pre-Columbian Art Galleries (205M)

When you look carefully at works of art, you may be surprised at what you find! Look at this object and find the head of a jaguar, an animaladmired for its strength and size in tropical Central America. Can you find two small cats carved on the jaguar’s head?

6. Iran: Incense Burner in the Shape of a Lion Arts of the Islamic World Gallery (111)

This object was used to burn incense in the 12th century, almost 1,000 years ago. Take a careful look at the metal designs on the lion. When incenseburned inside this sculpture, how do you think its sweet-smelling smokewould escape?

7. Papua New Guinea: Crocodile Oceanic Art Galleries (100, North Foyer)

What is missing on this crocodile? It doesn’t have feet! During special ceremonies, men made it dance by placing poles through the holes in itsside. Long, narrow crocodile sculptures are the most sacred objects of theKarawari peoples in Papua New Guinea, representing beings that created the world. Can you also find birds, human faces, and water designs carvedinto the wood?

8. America: Jar (Olla) with Geometric Designs Native American Art Galleries (Lower Brown Corridor)

This pot, made by a person in the Mimbres community of New Mexico, is decorated with many different shapes and lines. On this pot and othersnearby, can you find patterns that are created with straight, curved, and zig-zag lines? Can you see repeating shapes, like triangles and squares? Which pattern do you like the best?

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Family Programs at the MFAH receive generous support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Additional Details about the Art1. Akan, Staff Finial of a Man Climbing a Tree Assisted by a SecondMan, c. 1900, wood and gold leaf, gift of Alfred C. Glassell, Jr.

2. Minangkabau, Indonesian, Headdress, late 19th–early 20th centuries, gold and gold foil, gift of Alfred C. Glassell, Jr.

3. Noh Sang Kyoon, For the Worshipers, 2007, sequins, polyester resin,and fiberglass, museum purchase with funds provided by the CarolineWiess Law Accessions Endowment Fund. ©Noh Sang Kyoon

4. Indian, Uttar Pradesh, Sarasvati, 6th century, sandstone, museumpurchase with funds provided by “One Great Night in November,2004”; “Polo in India: A Great Tradition,” with gifts from Mr. and Mrs.Sesh Bala, Dr. and Mrs. A. P. Raghuthaman, Mr. and Mrs. Ashok Rao;the Friends of Asian Art, with gifts from Mr. and Mrs. Edward R. AllenIII, Mr. and Mrs. Louis Daly, Mr. and Mrs. John Goodman, Dr. and Mrs. Ninan Mathew, Drs. Usha and Kumara Peddamatham, Isabel B.and Wallace S. Wilson, and the Caroline Wiess Law Foundation; with additional gifts from Terry Huffington and Ralph Ernest Dittman, Dr. and Mrs. Peter Sullivan, and Mr. and Mrs. Gordon E. Nicklos, by exchange.

5. Guanacaste-Nicoya, Pre-Columbian, Intermediate area, CeremonialGrinding Stone (metate) with Jaguar Head, 300–700, volcanic stone,museum purchase with funds provided by the Director’s AccessionsFund, the Friends of Pre-Columbian Art, and J. Landis Martin in honor ofBill Walker and Matthew R. Simmons at “One Great Night in November.”

6. Iran, Incense Burner in the Shape of a Lion, 12th century, bronze,cast and pierce, gift of the Honorable and Mrs. Hushang Ansary, withadditional funds provided by the Brown Foundation AccessionsEndowment Fund and the Alice Pratt Brown Museum Fund.

7. Karawari people, Crocodile, early 20th century, wood and paint, gift of Houston Endowment, Inc.

8. Mimbres, Jar (olla) with Geometric Designs, 1025–1150, earthen-ware with bichrome slip painting, gift of Meredith J. Long in honor ofFayez Sarofim at “One Great Night in November.”

9. James Turrell, The Light Inside, 1999, site-specific installation withneon light, gypsum board, plaster, and glass, museum commission, gift of Isabel B. and Wallace S. Wilson. © James Turrell

10. Roman, Mosaic Panels, The Contest Between Apollo and Marsyas,c. 2nd–3rd centuries, stone and glass, gift of Lee and Joe Jamail withadditional museum funding.

11. Egyptian, Coffin of Pedi-Osiris, 305 B.C.–A.D. 30, wood with polychrome and gold, museum purchase with funds provided by the Alice Pratt Brown Museum Fund.

12. Willem Claesz Heda, Banquet Piece with Ham, 1656, oil on canvas,gift of Mr. and Mrs. Raymond H. Goodrich.

13. Bernardino Fungai, The Beloved of Enalus Sacrificed to Poseidon and Spared, c. 1512, tempera, oil, and gold leaf on wood, the Edith A. and Percy S. Straus Collection.

14. Joseph Mallord William Turner, Sheerness as Seen from the Nore,1808, oil on canvas, museum purchase with funds provided by theAlice Pratt Brown Museum Fund and the Brown Foundation AccessionsEndowment Fund, with additional gifts from Isabel B. and Wallace S.Wilson, The Brown Foundation, Inc., and Ann Trammell.

15. Henri Matisse, Woman in a Purple Coat, 1937, oil on canvas, gift of Audrey Jones Beck. © 2009 Succession H. Matisse, Paris/ArtistsRights Society (ARS) New York

9. America: James Turrell, The Light InsideAmerican Art: Main Street Tunnel Passage

The artist James Turrell created this work of art specifically for this passageway, which connects the two buildings of the museum. Turrell isinterested in how light, color, and space can influence how we feel, bothemotionally and physically. How does it make you feel to walk through thisdark space that is transformed by changing blue, purple, and red light?

10. Roman Empire: Mosaic Panels, The Musical Contest between Apollo and Marsyas Antiquities Galleries (Roman Art) (Jamail Atrium)A mosaic is made by arranging tiny pieces of colored glass and stonesinto a picture. This mosaic tells the famous story of a musical contest.Apollo, the god of the sun, has played his lyre (a harp-like instrument) so well that he has defeated Marsyas, who stands in the center with hisdouble flute broken in two pieces.

11. Egypt: Coffin of Pedi-Osiris Antiquities Galleries (Egyptian Art) (Jamail Atrium)

In ancient Egypt, a person’s body was preserved after death in a process called mummification. The body was then placed in a coffin, which was oftenbeautifully and elaborately decorated. Look at the labels at the bottom of thedisplay case to learn more about the gods and goddesses shown here.

12. The Netherlands: Willem Claesz Heda, Banquet Piece with Ham European Art Galleries (Dutch Art) (212)This type of painting is called a still life, which describes paintings of food,flowers, and even dead game (animals that have been killed for food orsport). What sorts of items do you see in this still life? These foods—ham, salt,oysters, and lemons—were expensive in the 17th century and were foundonly on the tables of wealthy people.

13. Italy: Bernardino Fungai, The Beloved of Enalus Sacrificed to Poseidon and Spared European Art Galleries (Italian Art) (203)To “read” this painting, you have to think of it as a backwards cartoon. Begin on the right, where a young girl wearing a red dress is dropped intothe sea as an offering to the Greek god of the sea, Poseidon. In the center,she can be seen again. What seems to be happening? The end of the story is on the left; after being saved by dolphins, she is pulled to the shore by agroup of women.

14. England: Joseph Mallord William Turner, Sheerness as Seen from the Nore European Art Galleries (English Art) (220)How would you describe the sea and the sky in this painting? The artist was fascinated with weather and how it changed the land, sky, and water. In this scene, the weather is also having an effect on the three men in theboat. If we could listen to them talking with each other, what do you thinkwe would hear?

15. France: Henri Matisse, Woman in a Purple CoatEuropean Art Galleries (French Art) (226)

The painting is as much about colors and patterns—repeated shapes andlines—as it is about the woman shown here. How many different colors and patterns can you find in this work of art?

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