Category: African Art
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A Guide to Islamic Art
Discover the fascinating group of styles we call Islamic art. It’s a wide-ranging area, not a closed group with a set of singular characteristics.
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The Garima Gospels: Medieval Illuminated Manuscripts in Ethiopia
The Garima Gospels, two gospel books from northern Ethiopia, may be the oldest surviving illuminated Christian manuscripts in the entire world.
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A Wearable Religious Painting from Ethiopia
At the Met, a small religious diptych from Ethiopia caught my eye. This very old Christian tradition has produced many wonderful icons like this one.
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Don’t Walk Like an Egyptian, Because They Didn’t, Either!
People often talk about “walking like an Egyptian”, but ancient Egyptians did not walk this way. Instead, the iconic pose comes from Egyptian art.
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Art That Inspires Me: El Anatsui
El Anatsui is a Nigerian artist who creates beautiful, tapestry-like artworks out of trashed materials like bottle caps and scrap metal.
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Art That Inspires Me: Faiyum Mummy Portraits
In Roman Egypt, many beautiful mummy portraits were made in and around the area of Faiyum. They were attached to mummy wrappings to cover the mummy’s head.
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William the Hippopotamus Makes a New Friend
The Met’s famous mascot, William, gets paired with a 1936 adaptation by Carl Walters. As a William fan, I was so excited to see the two hippos together.
