Musée Théodore-Monod

The Théodore-Monod gallery of African art, long called the Museum of Dakar or IFAN Museum, is a museum located in Dakar and is also part of the black Africa fundamental Institute (IFAN) within the University of Cheikh Anta Diop.

It is part of the official sites hosting the works exhibited at Dakar Biennale.

History

Located in Soweto, the building was built in the year 1931 in the Sudanese style in vogue then, initially housed the headquarters of the General Administration of the AOF, then the Museum after the creation in the year 1936 by Théodore Monod of the French Institute of the black Africa (IFAN), that will change name without changing the acronym in the year 1960s. It is only at this point that the collections are truly available to the public. However, the first Object registration date from 1941.

The Museum was renovated in the year 1995. From January 2005 to February 2008, the custodian was Abdoulaye Camara.

Long known as the Museum of African art, it changed its name in 2007, by the Decree  of the presidential n^o. 2007 - 1528 December 13, 2007 and takes that of Museum Théodore Monod of African art.

Collections

The Museum is dedicated to arts and traditions of West Africa and has about 9 000 objects, of which is about 300 are presented to the public on a permanent basis.

Although more modest in size, the presents analogies with the Museum of man in Paris, featuring several situations of daily life, such as the appeasement rituals among the Yoruba people in Nigeria or the coming out of masks at the Korhogo in Côte d'Ivoire. If the masks are well represented, there are also objects carved such as statues, doors, seats, or drums. The major role of gold in the trans-Saharan trade is referred to by number of boxes and various jewels. Examples of the main crafts activities in West Africa are exposed: pottery, ceramics, baskets and textiles to a wide variety of colors and materials.

The first floor is devoted to temporary exhibitions. For example, in 2007, "Witnesses of fertility and fertility" shows the importance of the rites accompanying and promoting fertility and fertility in certain populations in West Africa,

source https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e_Th%C3%A9odore-Monod_d%27art_africain