Tuesday, December 19, 2006
To the southern tip of Manhattan: The Museum of the American Indian
Today, a sunny, sparkling day, I went to the southern tip of the island and yes it's just the place to see the end of the island and in the distance across the water, The Statue of Liberty. I had two destinations, the Museum of the American Indian to see the exhibit that was closed the first time I went and then on to a photography store not far away to buy a digital camera.
After fueling up with a good Chinese buffet meal, I went into the former U.S. Customs House that now houses the museum. Seeing the beautiful polished wood stairway railing (restored) spiral up six or seven storeys made the trip worthwhile even though the particular exhibit was closed again, this time "for renovation" in advance of anticipated crowds during the upcoming holiday week. But there was an exhibit of Inuit sculpture that fascinated me for showing an almost vanished way of life now that the Inuit have congregated in towns but most of all for the beautiful objects themselves. There was a walrus head made of bone; the artist having seen that the pores in the bone reproduced the texture of the animal's fur. There was a smaller sculpture of four women, one of them assisting another giving birth. But by just giving these examples, I am only barely conveying the artistic sensibility, craftsmanship, and dedication to conveying their culture of the many sculptors whose work (mostly from the 1950s and 1960s, but some more recent) was on display.
By the way, the Museum defines "Indians" as the indigenous people of North America (including Mexico) and the Caribbean, not just of the USA. Hurrah!
After fueling up with a good Chinese buffet meal, I went into the former U.S. Customs House that now houses the museum. Seeing the beautiful polished wood stairway railing (restored) spiral up six or seven storeys made the trip worthwhile even though the particular exhibit was closed again, this time "for renovation" in advance of anticipated crowds during the upcoming holiday week. But there was an exhibit of Inuit sculpture that fascinated me for showing an almost vanished way of life now that the Inuit have congregated in towns but most of all for the beautiful objects themselves. There was a walrus head made of bone; the artist having seen that the pores in the bone reproduced the texture of the animal's fur. There was a smaller sculpture of four women, one of them assisting another giving birth. But by just giving these examples, I am only barely conveying the artistic sensibility, craftsmanship, and dedication to conveying their culture of the many sculptors whose work (mostly from the 1950s and 1960s, but some more recent) was on display.
By the way, the Museum defines "Indians" as the indigenous people of North America (including Mexico) and the Caribbean, not just of the USA. Hurrah!
