Human Aesthetic Exhibit Analysis

Cravens World: The Human Aesthetic exhibit was perfectly organized according to the six cross-cultural themes: Storage Vessels, Masking Tradition, Human Figure, Ritual Status and Prestige, and Personal Adornment. The objects in the upper wall cabinets and the drawers are organized by geographic region: Drawer A=North America, Drawer B=North America, Drawer C=Central and South America, Drawer D=Currency, Drawer E=Near East and Europe, Drawer F= Africa, Drawer G=Africa, Drawer H=Asia, Drawer I=Oceania. The displays have glass surrounding it in the middle of the room and also on the outside of the room. The right side of the wall when you first walk into the door are monumental spears, masks, and ritual adornment form multiple cultures displayed

The Storage Vessels were very creative and artistic and that’s why it’s being shown in this exhibit today. Many of the Storage Vessels had different functions depending on what culture it was created in. The Alabaster Kohl Tube from the Near East was used as a cosmetic storage container. The kohl is applied around a person’s eyes to deflect the sunlight. The Face-neck Jar from Peru functioned as a grave offering. Before that it was used as a beer serving vessel. The Masking Tradition as located to the right of the Storage Vessels. This tradition is very common to global culture. Face covering was very popular for multiple functions. Baba or Yam Mask from Papua Guinea was worn by young men during initiation rituals to introduce them to the spirit world. African masking ritual functions as many dance types or some form of art. Usually when they dance it is for or at a ceremony. This ceremony are done to make a connection between the human world and the spirit

The Ceramic Figurine from Mexico is a full figure with a long torso, short legs, and large thighs while African female figurines has a large number of physical presence. People in Africa believed that Women had an apotropaic function, which means that they have the power to avert evil influences or bad luck. This could be a reason why the human figures looks like that. The Nigerian figurine called the Edan Ogboni from Yoruba was worn as a sign of high office or high power. This figurine has two bodies that are connected by a chain going from one head to the other; that alone seems powerful. The male and female figurine from Vietnam are both very slim. This can tell you that this culture were healthy eaters. There weren’t many overweight people. Ritual and afterlife objects were used for many different traditions in a variety of cultures. Ritual objects from China, like the Female Figure Threshing Wheat and the Ceramic Figure of a Servant, focused more on funerary practices. This means that they focused more on honoring the dead or aiding the dead’s spirits in the afterlife. The ox and the cart tomb was the most noticeable one. Its function was to provide supplies for the deceased, making sure that they would prosper in the