In Mixed Metals, the Albany Museum of Art presents a selection of jewelry pieces from its African Art Collection. The exhibition provides an overview of the jewelry from Sub-Saharan Africa that is in the museum’s permanent collection. The majority of selected pieces are from Ethiopia and Ghana, while others are from Mali.
Mixed Metals highlights how jewelry became more than just an avenue for the decoration of the body. Building on the act of adornment in African jewelry practices, the exhibition shows that wearing jewelry is a way to indicate religious connections, wealth, and marital status.
It also provides a new contemporary connection with these pieces and their significant historical origin. We can think about our connections with jewelry, which are similar to those of the Ethiopian people. We wear crosses and indicate our marital status with jewelry, just as Ghanaian communities do. Mixed Metals connects numerous cultures and traditions by bridging the gap between how we think about African jewelry practices and our own contemporary wearing of jewelry.
