Spirits in Wood: African Masks and Sculptures Underground - Part 3
Dogon funeral masks, Punu white-faced dancers, and Kongo nkisi figures: in the Aliança Underground Museum, Africa’s spirits live on in silence beneath Portuguese wine cellars.
Elliott D. Paige writes on culture, diaspora, and film. Co-founder of Smadi, a streaming platform for diaspora audiences. Formerly a trade diplomat and aviation executive. He has lived in Antigua, New York, Geneva, Atlanta, and Lisbon.
Dogon funeral masks, Punu white-faced dancers, and Kongo nkisi figures: in the Aliança Underground Museum, Africa’s spirits live on in silence beneath Portuguese wine cellars.
Cultural Identity
In the underground chambers of the Aliança Museum, Africa speaks through terracotta guardians from Niger, Fang masks from Gabon, Nkisi power figures from Congo, and Yoruba crowns from Nigeria—objects without labels, yet alive with meaning.
Beneath the wine barrels of Sangalhos, Portugal, lies a secret: the Aliança Underground Museum. Its African collection—terracottas from Niger, ivory carvings from Congo, and masks from Gabon—sits largely unlabeled, yet speaks volumes about civilizations too often silenced.
Hoje, explico minha viagem quando decidir de mudar-me para outro país depois de quase dez anos em Atlanta. Li dos meus altos e baixos e como regular-me.
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