Vatican Exhibition Celebrates Multiple Paths to Spirituality at The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Tahlib

(L) Tu, god figure, Gambier Islands, Mangareva Island, collected 1834–1836. Wood.
(M) Eketea, god figure, Gambier Islands, Mangareva Island, collected 1834–1836. Wood.
(R) Quetzalcoatl figure, “The Plumed Serpent,” Mexico, Aztec, Late Postclassic
(AD 1350–1521). Stone. Photos © Vatican Museums.
All objects are in the collection of the Vatican Ethnological Museum.

CALIFORNIA---Now on display at the The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco are 39 rarely seen works from Africa, Oceania, and the Americas that celebrates the multiple paths to spirituality of  indigenous religious cultures. The presentation will enable visitors to learn about the local and global significance of the objects and their journeys without the imposition of a single dominant cultural storyline. These works are from the rarely seen holdings of the Vatican Ethnological Missionary Museum. This very special exhibition—the first time that a U.S. exhibition will focus on the Vatican’s collection of ethnographic art—investigates varying approaches, perspectives, and cultural practices surrounding diverse religious beliefs.

de Young Museum: "Objects of Belief from the Vatican: Art of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas," (Ends September 8, 2013), Golden Gate Park, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, San Francisco, CA. deyoungmuseum.org, 415-750-3600