The Collection at the BMA

Featured Works

A hand-painted recreation of the entrance sign to an actual 1970s New Orleans gay bar, The UpStairs Lounge. The work is painted in black on shaped, unpainted wood. The image shows two rows of anonymous male visages, one of whom is looking through binoculars, "at the viewer." The text reads "See You At The UpStairs Lounge 604 Iberville St. New Orleans"

See You at the UpStairs Lounge, from “Remember the UpStairs Lounge”

Detached album leaf

Wakamurasaki (Lavender), Tale of Genji: Chapter 5

The Collection

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Broad oblong forged-iron blade with very slight concave curve terminates in a straight edge, which extends slightly beyond the oblong on either side (similar to silhouette of a bell); short, conical spike extends from straight edge of blade.

Currency Blade

  • Afo people, Nigeria, African
  • iron
Hide shield attached by leather strips to oval wooden frame; vertical wooden handle on back; patterns in blue, white, black, ochre, red pigments.

Shield

Abstract triptych

Bonjour Julie

Eunuch on Horseback, from a Tomb Figure Procession

A lovely Yuan lacquered plate with two parrots playing amongst plants

Parrot Plate

Large multi-armed statue

Sarasvati

Standing male power figure with bent arms resting on distended abdomen; below abdomen, figure is unarticulated block, partially covered by animal skin and waist ornaments (large bell and metal jangles attached to cord). Animal horn emerges vertically from top of head. Face has slitted, bulbous eyes, broad nose, protruding and slightly upturned open mouth, square beard. Necklace of glass beads, animal teeth, seed pods hangs from neck onto abdomen. Umbilical area has opening where medicinal materials once existed.

Male Power Figure (nkishi)

Linguist Staff Finial (okyeame poma), Akan group, Asante people, Ghana, African, wood and gold leaf

Linguist Staff Finial (okyeame poma)

Southern Netherlands, façon de Venise diamond-engraved winged goblet, the funnel-shaped bowl engraved with two oval medallions, one depicting Saint John the Baptist holding the Cross, Bible, and Lamb, and wearing a camel fur over his shoulder, the other showng Saint Paul holding a sword, the saints are flanked by two large flowers; the stem a series of coiled tubes, whose middle section is shaped like an "8" enclosing white threads and applied with pincered ornaments, on a folded conical foot

Goblet

A sculpture made up of six arms cast in fiberglass suspended from a frame attached to the ceiling. The arms belong to Tommie Smith the 1968 Olympic Gold Medalist in the 200 meter race. The arms represent the gesture Tommie made when he received his medal in 1968; he wore a black glove and put his arm up in the air while making a fist to bring public attention to the ongoing struggle of African Americans in the United States of America.

Bridge (Section 1 of 6)