Scientists decided to debunk the racist myth of African sculpture
 

The scientists decided to debunk the racist myth of African sculpture

Specialists of the British Museum are going to study sculpture, depicting the head of the sea god Olokun from the mythology of the African Yoruba people. They suggest that the work of the museum Nigerian city of Ife, which is a copy of, in fact, may be the original - one of the most valuable works of African art. , Writes The Art Newspaper.
Research will be held after June 6, when the exhibition "The kingdom of Ife in the British Museum. With the permission of the owner of sculpture, the Commission for Museums and Monuments of Nigeria, Britons spend an X-ray analysis of the bronze image. In addition, the inside of the hollow head will study under the microscope in search of the smallest parts of the mold. If such particles can find their way to try to date the thermo-luminescent.

The outer side of the head study to answer the question did not apply there when it was created modern tools and abrasives. Finally, analysis of corrosion will determine whether the statue buried in the ground.

Olokun head in 1910 discovered the famous German anthropologist Leo Frobenius, Africanist. He had heard about the sculpture, buried not far from Ife, in a palm grove, dedicated to the god Olokun. The ethnographer was able to find work, which is believed to have been founded around the year 1400 and represents one of the local kings. Soon the British colonial government was forced to bury his head back, again it unearthed only in 1934.

In 1948 he studied sculpture experts of the British Museum, who found that late copy: it allegedly manufactured in a modern way, using a plaster cast, and not wax. In addition, the head found two seam, but did not find traces of ornament, which is described Frobenius. Scientists have suggested that the forger to make a copy, purge corrupt the ancient sculptures, to repeat the original composition of the alloy. What happened to the original, to say it was impossible.

The assumption that the head Olokun actually may not be a copy, expressed a specialist on the West African art Nigel Barley (Nigel Barley), looking around the sculpture in January. He also noted that it is not clear why it was necessary to try and forge the image when it was possible to simply steal.

The Art Newspaper said "racist" overtones that sculpture found fraud: in the first half of XX century art historians have decided that the Africans were not able to establish a masterpiece.

http://www.lenta.ru/news/2010/05/06/olokun/

"Shaped" and "dressing"! (Racists)

It is not clear - such as was already known sculpture of Benin, were loud interest (Picasso, etc.) among the artists say that "there is nothing" has been impossible ...

The question is, if they could in 1400 to smelt metal.