Page 242 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - New York City

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Exploring the Collection

The Brooklyn Museum houses one of the finest art
collections in the United States. Its strengths include
an outstanding collection of Native American art from
the Southwest; American period rooms; exquisite pieces
of ancient Egyptian and Islamic art; and important
American and European paintings.

Ancient American
Arts of Africa, the Pacific, artistic traditions
and the Americas
are represented by
The Brooklyn Museum set a Peruvian textiles,
precedent in the United States Central American
in 1923 by exhibiting African gold, and Mexican
objects as works of art rather sculpture. A beautifully
than artifacts. Since then, the preserved tunic from Seated Buddha torso in limestone,
African art collection has grown Peru, dating from AD 600, is so from India (late 3rd century AD)
steadily in both importance tightly woven that its vibrant
and size. symbolic designs appear to Decorative Arts
Exhibits include a rare have been painted onto the
intricately carved ivory gong cloth rather than woven in The decorative arts collection
from the Benin kingdom of the traditional manner. reflects changes in domestic
16th-century Nigeria, one of The Oceanic collection life and design from the
only five in existence. includes sculpture from the 17th century to the present.
The Brooklyn Museum also Solomon Islands, Papua New The Moorish Smoking Room,
has a notable collection of Guinea, and New Zealand. from John D. Rockefeller’s
Native American items, brownstone house, embodies
including totem poles, textiles, elegant New York living in the
and pottery. One article, a 19th- Asian Art 1860s. There is also a 1928–30
century deer skin shirt, once Changing exhibitions from Art Deco study from a Park
worn and owned by a chief of the museum’s permanent Avenue apartment, including
the Blackfoot tribe, depicts its collection of Chinese, Japanese, a walk-in bar that was hidden
owner’s brave and daring exploits Korean, Indian, Southeast Asian, behind paneling during the
in battle. and Islamic art are always on Prohibition era (see pp30–31).
display. Japanese and More than 350 items from the
Chinese paintings, Indian museum’s collection of silver,
miniatures, and furniture, ceramics, and textiles
Islamic calligraphy are featured in the Luce Center
complement the for American Art. Although
Asian sculpture, centered mostly on American
textiles, and art, the selection also includes
ceramics. The pieces of Native American and
collections of Spanish colonial art.
Japanese folk
art, Chinese
cloisonné
(enamel work),
and Oriental
carpets are of
particular note.
Good examples
of Buddhist art
range from a variety of
Chinese, Indian, and
Southeast Asian Buddhas
to a mandala-patterned
temple banner from
14th-century Tibet,
painted in rich,
Blackfoot tribe deerskin shirt, decorated with porcupine quills luminous Ocean-liner inspired Normandie chrome
and glass beads (19th century) watercolors. pitcher, by Peter Müller-Munk (1935)

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