AIA-7D: Representations of Ethnicity in the Ancient World and Museum Displays (Colloquium )

Sponsored by:

EOS Africana

Organizers

Danielle Bennett, Menil Collection; and Branko van Oppen, Tampa Museum of Art

Discussants

Jackie Murray, University of Kentucky

Overview Statement

Portraits and figural depictions of Africans and others in ancient art epitomize the long-distance networks, cultural understandings (or misunderstandings), and relational complexities of the Mediterranean world through both naturalistic and exaggerated representations. Ethnos, as well as other words in Greek, such as genos, phylon, and laos, and in Latin, genus, tribus and natio, refer to groups of people in terms of communities. Generally, however, ancient representations of Africans are limited in museum displays and not contextualized. In addition, depictions of Persians or Egyptians, Scythians or Amazons, Celts or Indians, representing some of the types of others present in Greek and Roman art, are often similarly treated in displays. How should museums exhibit these objects and related depictions? What are the best practices with regard to terminology? How can museums engage scholars and the public in discussions about interpretations and reception?

This panel, sponsored by EOS Africana, includes papers that address representations of Africans and others in the art of the ancient Mediterranean world prior to ca. 500 C.E. within the context of public-facing presentations. Since the founding of The Image of the Black in Western Art project and the now often-debated publications of Frank Snowden, Blacks in Antiquity (1970) and Before Color Prejudice (1983), as well as Martin Bernal, Black Athena (3 vols.1987, 1991, 2006), the topics of race and ethnicity in the ancient world have remained important among the scholarship. Particularly in recent years, scholars have revisited these topics with new insights as well as discussions about appropriate terminology and potential biases in publications, university courses, and workshops. These discussions reveal that modern ideas about ethnicity or racism do not directly correspond with those from the ancient world. Nor are scholars agreed on the best approach or terminology. Modern interpretations of ancient depictions of people identified as “Black” or “other” through physical features or attire, coiffure or jewelry, contend with these nuances and challenges. Through discussion, this panel seeks to establish a path for museums to use their collections to engage in these broader and complex discussions.