CURRENT EXHIBITIONS

From the Land of the Rajas: Creativity in Rajasthan
February 2 through July 20, 2008

Rajasthan, a desert state in northwestern India, is famed for its colorful and distinctive art styles. For centuries, its princely rulers (rajputs, literally "sons of kings") have encouraged a wide range of arts. The Land of the Rajas allows visitors to explore the social and cultural aspects of Rajasthan through examples of these works.

The 150 objects on display include domestic crafts, wedding textiles, festival material, puppets and theatrical costumes, ritual masks, musical instruments, paintings for traveling story-tellers, temple sculpture and painting, and tourist painting. Many pieces chosen are uncommon in American collections because of their large size and ritual use. They offer a rare glimpse into the ritual arts of an Indian region famed for its tradition of court painting.

One of the focal points is a thirty foot long painted scroll depicting the epic of Pabuji, a semi-divine folk hero. Traditionally the tale of Pabuji is told during a 36 hour performance given by professional storytellers. Museum visitors are treated to video excerpts of a performance that augment the viewing of this visually exciting piece.

Hands-on activities for all ages and are interspersed throughout the exhibition. Learn to tie a turban or try on a colorful Rajasthani costume. The Hearst will also host a year of Rajasthani educational programs including musical performances, and lectures.

From the Maker’s Hand:Selections from the Permanent Collection
Ongoing Exhibition

The Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology offers its latest interpretation of human ingenuity with this exhibit. Visitors will see the living and historical cultures of China and Africa in one section. The ancient civilizations of Egypt, Peru, North America, and the Mediterranean are represented through many fine archaeological examples in another section. While the artifacts are diverse in origin, taken as a whole they underscore the history of human innovation.

Native Californian Cultures Gallery
Ongoing Exhibition

Over thousands of years, the Native peoples of the present state of California developed many complex cultures, with differing customs related to varied environments and histories. Native Californian Cultures is dedicated exclusively to displays drawn from the Museum's permanent collections from California, the world's largest and most comprehensive devoted to this region. In a "visible storage" style of display, about 500 objects illustrate the great diversity of the Californian peoples who live within the boundaries of the present state. By grouping objects according to common usage or object type, the similarities and differences among California peoples are made readily apparent.