The Waters Art Museum Members Magazne January–April 2012

WHAT W

ILL YOU DISCOVER?

MEM

BERS MAGAZINE

WINTER 2012

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board of trustees 20112012Chair andreab.laportePresident douglasw.hamilton,jr.Vice-President ellenn.bernardVice-President thomass.bozzutoVice-President nancyr.sasserVice-President dr.hervey(peter)s.stockman,jr.Vice-President marybailywielerTreasurer frankk.turner,jr.Secretary dr.garyk.vikanjuliannee.aldermanpeterl.baincalvinh.bakerneald.bordenh.wardclassenrosaleec.davisonmichaeldehavenoncynthial.eganchristinem.espenshadejonathanm.fishmanbrucew.flemingguye.flynnmichaelb.glicksanfordm.grossthehonorablec.yvonneholt-stonestanleymazaroffneila.meyerhoffbaileymorris-eckjennifermurphycharlesj.nabitmarilyna.pedersenwilliamh.perkinslynnhomeierrauchgeorgek.reynolds,iiijohnr.rockwelledwardl.rosenbergbernardselzgaill.shaweex-officio membersthehonorablestephanierawlings-blakethehonorablebernardc.youngthehonorablemartinj.omalleythehonorablekevinkamenetzthehonorablekenulmanannen.apgarrosemaryeckmargaretz.fergusonlaural.freedlanderbarbaraguarnieriadelekasselizabethkoontzmarcok.merricktomnoonandianaulmantrustees emeritidr.roberts.feinbergsamuelk.himmelrich,sr.cynthiar.meadwilliaml.paternotteadenaw.testajaym.wilsoninternational advisory boarddr.jamesmichaelbradburnewendyceh.brodyeddiec.browndr.myrnabustaniconstancer.caplanphilipd.englishsamfogglaural.freedlanderleahganslerjoelgoldfrankbruceliviedr.jamesmarrowangelamooredwightplattgeorgerochepaulruddockthehonorablepaulsarbanesdonaldj.shepardgeorgem.shermanjohnwaters,jr.dr.danielh.weissbenjaminb.zucker

The Walters Magazine, Vol. 65, No. 1Published by the Trustees of the Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore

Editor, charlesdibbleDesigner, tonyvenneArt Photography, susantobin

[email protected]

[email protected]

our missionThe Walters Art Museum brings art and people together for enjoyment, discovery and learning. We strive to create a place where people of every background can be touched by art. We are committed to exhibitions and programs that will strengthen and sustain our community.

The Walters Art Museum is open WednesdaySunday, 10 a.m.5 p.m.

above: Stucco Portrait Head / Maya, Mexico, Belize or Guatemala / Late Classic

Period / AD 550850 / Stucco, paint

cover: Warrior Face (Incense Burner Fragment) / Teotihuacan, Mexico / Middle

Classic Period, AD 400650 / Earthenware, post-fire pigment

10 ONE GIFT LEADS TO ANOTHER 11 MUSEUMS AND THE COMMUNITY 12 NEAR PARIS 13 WELCOME JO BRIGGS 14 PROGRAMS & EVENTS 15 FAMILY FUN 16 MUSEUM STORE 17 INTEGRATING THE ARTS 20 BEHIND THE SCENES 21 TOUCH & THE ENJOYMENT OF SCULPTURE 22 MUSEUM NEWS

EXPLORING ART OF THE ANCIENT AMERICAS: THE JOHN BOURNE COLLECTION GIFT

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LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR

DearMembers,

Exploring Art of the Ancient Americas: The John Bourne Collection GiftwillmarkamilestoneinthehistoryoftheWaltersArtMuseum.NotsincetheopeningofHackermanHousein1991asthecenterforourcollectionsofAsianarthavewetakensuchaboldstepforwardinexpandingourofferingsforourvisitors.

WithgenerousgiftsofendowmentfundsandworksofartfromJohnBourneofSantaFeandtheZifffamilyofNewYorkCity,wewillestablishaCenterfortheStudy,DisplayandTeachingoftheArtsoftheAncientAmericas.TheCentersendowedstaffwillincludeacurator,aconservator,andaneducator.Endowedfundswillbedesignatedaswellforexhibitions,publications,colloquiaandsymposia,exchangefellowshipsandoccasionalartpurchases.Wewillpursueopportunitiesforlong-termloansfromU.S.museumsandcollectorsandfrominstitutionsinLatinAmerica,andwewillalsoseektoenhanceourartholdingsthroughgiftsfromexistingcollections.Plansareunderwaytocreateapermanentgalleryspacededicatedtothesenewcollections.ThroughthisCenter,theWalterswillestablishpartnershipsforresearchprojectswithU.S.andLatinAmericanmuseumsanduniversities;wewillalsoexploretrainingopportunitiesforourstaffandfellowsthroughaprogramofresidentialexchangesinLatinAmerica.

Inthedecadestocome,theWaltersArtMuseumwillbeattheforefrontinternationallyinexploringandsharingwiththepublictherichculturalheritageofthegreatcivilizationsoftheWesternHemisphere.

Gifts,acquisitionsandlong-termloanswillbesoughtinconformitywiththeWaltersacquisitionsandaccessionspolicyaspublishedonourwebsite.Thepolicyisbasedonthemuseumscommitmenttothreeoverarchingprinciples.First,DueDiligence:theacquisitionofworksofartwillbeconductedwithfullandrigorousinvestigationanddocumen-tationoftheworksprovenanceandauthenticity.Second,Transparency:theseworks,whethergifted,purchasedorreceivedaslong-termloans

orplannedgifts,willbepromptlypublishedonourwebsiteandontheobjectregistryoftheAssociationofArtMuseumDirectors.Andthird,Good-FaithEngagement:anyplausibleclaimsforrepatriationofanyamongtheseworksfrompossiblesourcecountrieswillbepromptlyandopenlyengaged.

WeareconfidentthatthisboldmoveintotheartsoftheWesternHemispherewillnotonlyenrichourvisitorsappreciationandunderstandingofourwonderfulMediterraneanandEuropeancollectionsofcomparabledate;itwillalsoofferapointofentrytotheWaltersforourgrowingregionalpopulationswhotracetheirancestrytothoselandswheretheculturesrepresentedbytheseworksofartonceflourished.

ManyWaltersstaff,friendsandsupporterscontributedtotherealizationofthisvisionforthecreationofthenewCenterfortheArtsoftheAncientAmericas,butnonehavehadamoreprofoundimpactthanJulianneandGeorgeAlderman,long-timefriendsofthemuseum,inspiredcollectorsandtruevisionaries.

GaryVikan,Director

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fig. 1 Mother and Child / El Arenal, Jalisco, Mexico /100 BCAD 200 / Earthenware, white slip with black and red paint

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Thecold,darkdaysofFebruary2012willbeilluminatedbytheopeningofExploring Art of the Ancient Americas: The John Bourne Collection Gift.Restassured:theyear2012isnottheendoftheworldoranapocalypticrealignmentofthecosmosandtransformationofhumanconscious-nessassupposedlypredictedbytheancientMaya(theydidnt,really,butthatsanotherarticle).Instead2012willbeanauspiciousyearfortheWaltersArtMuseum.Mr.BournesgenerousgiftestablishesthefoundationforthemuseumsnewfocusonthedisplayandstudyofancientAmericanartandculture.JoiningdonationsfromtheZifffamilyofNewYork,thecollectionprovidesacomprehen-siveoverviewofartfrommorethan25culturesfromMexicotoBoliviaandspanningnearly3,000years.

ArtandarchitectureareprimarysourcesforreconstructingtheculturalhistoryoftheancientAmericas.WritingsystemswerepresentinMesoamerica(thatis,Mexico,Belize,Guatemala,andnorthernHondurasandElSalvador),andthousandsofscreen-foldbookscontainedawidevarietyofsubjects.Butthe16th-centurySpanishburnedeverybooktheycouldfind,therebydestroyingmillenniaofaccumulatedmedicalandotherscientificknowledge,includingastronomyandmathematics,aswellassocialandpoliticalhistory,economicmattersandreligioustreatises.Fewerthan35bookssurvive,andbadluckhasitthatmostaredivinatoryorgenealogicaltextsorastrological-astronomicaltables.Hieroglyphictextsalsosurviveoncarvedstonemonumentsandpaintedpotteryandwallmurals.Most,however,arerelativelyshortandchronicleanarrowrangeofpolitico-religiousmatters.Ontheotherhand,16th-centurycommentariesbynativeandSpanishauthorsofferinsightsintotheindigenouscultures,andtheirmoderndescendantscontinuetraditionswithancientrootsthathelpusunderstandthehistoricalrecord.Byandlarge,however,artworksandarchaeologicalartifactsaretheessentialsourcesforexploringtheculturesoftheancientAmericas.

Traditionally,museumsorganizeancientculturesbygeographyandperiod,whichnecessarilyorientsthevisitorinspaceandtime.Andso,too,theBourneexhibi-tionfollowsthistemplate.Yetthecollectionsbreadthexpandstheexhibition'snarrativescope,providingtheopportunitytoexploreimportantthemesofancientAmericancivilization,whichareuniversalelementsofhumanculture.Onethemeisdailylifeandthecommondomesticactivitiesandcustomaryresponsibilitiesofmenandwomentomaintainthehomeandthecommunity.ManysculpturesfromMexicoportraywomenintheirroleascreatorsoflifeandnurturersofthefamily;onesuchworkistheceramicsculptureofaJaliscomotherproudlybalancinghertoddlersononherlap(figure 1).

MesoamericanandCentralAmericansculpturesalsoportraywomeninritualposesoradornedwithsymbolsimplyingtheirstatusasshamansthatis,asprac-titionersofspiritualtransformationforthepurposeofacquiringsacredpowerstohealthesickoraddressothersocietalneeds.AstrikingfemalefigurefromtheTlatilco-TlapacoyaareaintheValleyofMexicomayportraysuchaperson,heroverlylargehead,openmouth,blankcountenance,andritualizedposebeingtypicalfeaturesrepresentingshamanictrance(figure 2).Artworks,hieroglyphicrecordsandColonialPeriodcommentariesindicatethatbothmenandwomencouldholdreligiousandpoliticaloffice,althoughthemajorityofsurvivingportrayalsdepictmen.

Dailylifealsoincludedtheroutineresponsibilitiesoftherulingnobility,withmanyworksintheBourneCollectionillustratingthisfacetofhumanculture.InCentralAmericaandMesoamericajadeitejewelryadornedtheelite,thisstunningmineralsymbolizingsocialstatusandsacredpower.Mayarulerswerebelieved

EXPLORING ART OF THE ANCIENT AMERICAS: THE JOHN BOURNE COLLECTION GIFT

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EXPLORING THE ART OF THE ANCIENT AMERICAS

tobeearthlyembodimentsofthemaizegod,oneofthemaingodsofCreation.Bothwerefestoonedinjadeiteadornments,someofwhichdepictrulersinconventionalposespertainingtothedeity,suchasanEarlyClassicMayapectoralfeaturedintheexhibition(figure 3).

Anessentialdutyofrulerswastomaintainuniversalbalanceforavarietyofreasons,butespeciallytoensuregoodweather,abundantcrops,successfulchild-birthandsuccessinwar.Acommonlyheldbeliefforpreservingcosmicbalancewasasacredpactofmutualnourishmentbetweenthegodsandhumanity.InMesoamerica,humansofferedtheirbloodinsacrificetosustainthegods,who,inturn,providedrainandotherpotentliquidstosustainhumanlifeonearth.Artworksportrayingindividualsdes