Michael C. Carlos

This was my best museum visit to date. Everything was beautiful. From th emoment I was able to view the structure to the exhibits inside. The High museum is very modern, but plain. It has very high ceilings as it is four stories high. The wadsworth is very old, but classy. The exhibits were not as valuable, but it was a memorable experience. The Michael C. Carlos museum is a totally different experience. I really feel like I learned alot about the art world. Michael C. Carlos Museum of Emory University is a beautiful museum. The architecture itself is very pleasing to the eye. The building that is it housed in was designed by the world renowned artist Michael Graves. Not knowing who Michael Graves was I had to do a little research. Michael Graves is a famous American architect that has designed beautiful structures throughout the United States. In addition he has a household product line that is sold out of Target. The Michael C. Carlos is listed as one of his famous structures. Michael C. Carlos is an Atlanta philanthropist. He donated an estimated twenty million dollars to the museum that bears his name.When you look at the structure you can see the connection that it has throughout history. The exterior has a strong African motif. If you stand in front of the museum you can see pyramid shapes on each side. When walking through entrance you are again reminded Asia. They have the flair of a Bali House or a pavilion in Asia. Everything is asymmetric. The stone is different shades of tan. There are perfectly square windows on the lower level and rectangular windows on the upper level. I guess that is enough about the exterior I will move on to the exhibit. The Michael C. Carlos museum offers collections in ancient Egyptian and Nubian art, Ancient near art, Art of ancient Americas, Asian art, Greek and Roman art, Sub-Saharan African and works of art on paper. Additionally, they have special art exhibits, lectures and receptions throughout the year. Upon entering the building you have the option of utilizing an MP3 player to listen to experts talk about the exhibitions.There was so much to choose from, I decided to start my journey in the art of ancient Americas.

I was captivated by the wood work. It wasn’t what I expected. My first stop was the Rosales Zoned graved female effigy. Period IV, 300 B.C-A.D. The effigy is ceramic, but you have to look really close. At first glance, I thought it was made of wood. The statue is brown and black, it is very hard to tell that it is a female. The statue is on her knees. The face is stern. The facial features are very harsh. The nose and mouth are large is size. In all honesty the only way to tell that this is a female is the fact they she has breasts and a necklace painted around her neck. This artwork is known as the Guanacaste-Nicoya style. The documentation indicates that some of the black spots used to be red, but changed due to oxygenation.

The next statue is the Paccha en Quecha. This is an odd looking clay statue that was used to assist with farming and potting plants. It has a long brown point with a hook attached near the middle. It looks as if they are held together by some type of foil. On top of the hook is a small object that looks like flower pot. The flower pot is tan with a design going up the side and around the neck where the opening is. The pattern is multi colored. Attached to the pot is an ear of corn. In all honesty I had to read the documentation to determine exactly what that piece was. This hook was used to during the corn season.

A little ways down the hall I spotted a pair of Earspools as known as earrings. They are absolutely beautiful and don’t look as if they belong with the other items in the collection. They are very large in size and possible very heavy. The design in the earrings is very detailed. The earrings are gold. The background is water, a boat with sails. There are two birds at the very top. They are facing each other with there beaks facing downward. You can make out the people in the water. There are clearly diving for something of importance. There are shells that are lying around the bottom, they resemble flowers. There a little bumps that outline the earrings. This is clearly an important event. The earrings that signify the importance are just phenomenal. These earrings are priceless. I am certain of that.I didn’t plan on looking at the Ancient Egyptian Art, but a couple was discussing a coffin being part of the exhibit. Based on the conversation, I couldn’t resist. Honestly, I was a little nervous. I didn’t know what to expect. I cannot put the Coffin of Lady Tahat into words that will do it justice. The Coffin actually resembles a lady. The details are right in line with what you hear about Africans. She has a narrow face with wide eyes. She has a lot of hair. There are designs that resemble kente cloth in her hair. The top design reminds you of a crown. It has a star in the middle with more of the kente cloth design going around her head. She has on earrings that are too big for her narrow face. The earrings have the same design as that on top of her head. Her neck is long and thin and her hair hangs perfectly around it. Her body has distinct symbols and figures throughout. It appears that she has an important symbol in the middle of her chest. The outline looks like a bird with his wings spread wide. Her arms are folded across the lower part of her stomach. It almost seems out of proportion. Her fingers are detailed as they lay flat. The Coffin is very big, but the woman was very petite based on her face and hands. This Coffin is a must see. Every inch of the coffin is pained with some type of design of scenery. Even though I know this coffin is hundreds of years in age it looks like it was recently built. It is hard to describe without pictures. This is a great family outing, if you are ever in the Atlanta area.