Object of the Month

This #BlackHistoryMonth, we’re exploring some of the objects in our collection made by Black artists or makers.

This waistband is made by an El Molo craftsman in the north east of Kenya. We have learnt more about it thanks to the ongoing project Rethinking Relationships and Building Trust around African Collections, developing new practice around Kenyan and Nigerian collections at the Horniman Museum, the Pitt Rivers Museum, MAA, and the World Museum.

The Elmolo are Afro-Asiatic speakers believed to have migrated into Kenya from Ethiopia around 1000BC. They live along the shores of Lake Turkana, the world largest permanent desert lake, reflected in the white fish vertebrae beads and blue glass beads.

It has been hard to identify the source or get a local name for this object. As researcher Njeri Gachihi explains, “The El Molo is possibly an extinct language. The 2019 Kenya Census cited that there were only 8 native speakers of the language and the population of those belonging to the ethnic community was 2,800 only.”

Masks and Monsters: Decoding Anglo-Saxon Metalwork

Do you ever feel like you’re being watched? When you come face-to-face with an early medieval object, chances are you really are face-to-face.

Join Collections Assistant Lily Stancliffe as she decodes the masks and monsters found in Anglo-Saxon Metalwork (just in time for the spooky season!)

Day of the Dead Retablo

Prices range from £19.50 to £30

Handmade in Peru, these wonderful little scenes are known as retablos. This style is commonly seen across Latin America, particularly around the Day of the Dead festival on 1 and 2 November, when families visit the graves of their loved ones, decorating them and making offerings to the deceased.

Raksassa Mask

S = £12
L = £18

This mask has been hand carved by traditional artisans in Bali, Indonesia. The Raksassa mask is used in traditional dance styles of Bali and can be literally translated to mean “huge and strong” or simply “monster”.

#ComeOnInCam

Together, the eight University of Cambridge Museums and Botanic Garden represent the UK’s highest concentration of internationally important collections outside London.

Explore them all in this new series of videos by UCM, including MAA.

Black History Month Event 2021

Saturday 30th October 2021
Storey’s Field Centre, Eddington Avenue, CB3 1AA

As part of its celebration of Black History Month, the Cambridge African Network is hosting a full Two Part family event, with activities ranging from an African Market and Bazaar to a ticketed Gala Evening Party.