with Dr. Augustus Casely-Hayford
KEYNOTE TALK
Trade Networks and Empires: African Art’s Many Golden Ages
with Dr. Augustus Casely-Hayford
Date:
Sun, Dec 01, 2019 02:00PM
Price: $20, $18 Friends, $12 students and seniors
Join the Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art to find out how art has carved out history and empires. Dr. Augustus Casely-Hayford draws on the rich material heritage and iconic art on display in our exhibition Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time.
You’ll learn about Mansa Musa, 14th century emperor of Mali, thought to be one of the wealthiest people of all time. Unable to expand his empire because of the challenge posed by the Southern Atlantic Ocean, Mansa Musa set out across the Sahara towards Mecca. On his way he created a legendary exchange of arts that we continue to praise today.
This event is part of our fall season —Africa! — which explores new dimensions of the vast and complex continent with a world-class lineup of art, performers, and speakers.
Bio:
Dr. Augustus Casely-Hayford is the Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art. A frequent on-air contributor about Africa, Casely-Hayford has presented two series of Lost Kingdoms of Africa for the BBC, among other programs. He delivered a recent TEDGlobal Talk on pre-colonial Africa and is the author of a new Ladybird Expert book, Timbuktu. In 2018, Casely-Hayford was presented with an OBE, a title within the Order of the British Empire, for his work on African History and Arts.
