Online
The Mint Museum has pieces of its collection spread across two buildings; Mint Museum Uptown and Mint Museum Randolph. These collections can be seen on view alongside our special exhibitions.
The Mint Museum is working diligently to ensure that all objects from our collection are represented on our website, at this time only a portion are available for view.
mixed media
Not currently on view
Museum Purchase: Funds provided by William E.Simms, Dee Dee Murphy, Viola T. Alexander, Cindy & Harvey Gantt, Harold S.Pride, Sr., and Dr. Rosamuel Dawkins
Through freighted references to oppression and aggression, Radcliffe Bailey uses chain, an axe head, and trees as symbols of African American struggle, pride, and transcendence. The interlocking links of chain suggest strength through family and community. Shango, the Yoruba thunder god, is signified by an axe. The surface embellishments of the axe represent the beautiful skin textures and patterns created through the African practice of ritual scarification. The urns hanging from the dormant tree recall bottle trees—an African tradition that has been transplanted to the South—thought variously to bring rain and luck, ensnare evil, and make trees bloom. The title of the work, Middle Passage, refers to the difficult and often deadly trans-Atlantic voyage that brought slaves from Africa to America. Bailey brings together a wide range of media to create the imagery of this powerful assemblage – a kind of collage utilizing three-dimensional elements.
Accession Number: 1993.22
Measurements:
Copyright Information:
In order to access a high-resolution image, please submit a request via the Mint’s Reproduction Request Form. Fees may apply.
All records for works of art published on mintmuseum.org have been reviewed by curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our collections database comprises information gathered over the museum’s history; consequently, some records may be missing information, include offensive or discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas and analyses. The Mint is committed to addressing these issues and revising our records so as to maintain the highest possible degree of accuracy in accordance with scholarly standards.
If you would like to suggest improvements to a record, please submit your feedback here.
The Museum assumes no responsibility for infraction of copyright laws, invasion of privacy or improper and /or illegal use that may arise from reproduction of this image. The user assumes full responsibility for the use of images obtained from the Museum, to obtain permission from copyright holders where applicable and to hold harmless the Museum and its agents against any and all damages and claims arising or resulting from the use of the images.