Intersections

Memorials and Transcendence

When spiritual intervention cannot avert death, art is often used to assist in a variety of ways. Some objects are intended to protect the relics of the deceased, while others serve as memorials for the dead. Still others were made as burial goods to accompany the deceased in the passage to the afterlife. In almost all the cultures discussed in this section of the exhibition, death is viewed as a transition to the next world, and art is often integral to this final transformation.

Displayed in this case are ancient tomb sculptures from Mexico and a contemporary Mexican tree of death that honors the memories of deceased loved ones. Adjacent displays feature works from Gabon in Central Africa and from Papua New Guinea; all of these played important roles in mourning and funerary rites.