Show voodoo Collect collection i on for far museum washington from the interior of nigeria original home of the voodoo cult the national museum has received a large collection of native implements clements ts and articles of magic presented by 0 0 roberts of malden maiden mass an oil operator who has built up an extensive business in thial little known country the section of africa where native culture has reached its highest levels hitherto has been in american collections the most conspicuous objects are the fright some wooden masks used by the native ma gillans gl gi clans these are elaborately carved heads ot of animals and grotesque human faces employed in the rain making and fertility rites all show a highly developed artistic a ability they are used in the weird metamorphosis ceremonies in which men a are r e supposed to change themselves into totem animals the collection also contains many examples of the ilie famous benin brass work the hauser negro tribe it was explained apparently progressed d directly I 1 from copper to iron without going through the bronze era which has been common commod to other civilizations spares L N A Z 4 J ji V 0 4 15 1 A wd 24 P N their extremely artistic iron statuary has been one of the wonders of the anthropological world the use of brass was introduced by the portuguese during the early explorations of the west african coast among the ob objects ejects Is a model of a S safari in brass with the king being carried through a jungle in a hammock carried by his subjects subject S and with a retinue of attendants each each little figure Is mode modeled led to life in brass there are also brass models of hunting scenes instead of preserving records of notable events in drawing or painting as did the primitive european the nigerian system Is to model it in i brass thit thi collection it was pointed out Is of f special interest since a great majority of the nat natives ives brought out of af africa rich in a slave trade dys days came from this part of the country although they may have been brought originally from s somewhere ome where elst by the negro slave traders that the artistic ability of the people has declined little since ancient times la Is shown by the apotheosis of the tin can in two samples collected by mr roberts cigarette tins lined neatly with leather and fur become objects of considerable value with little likeness to their original state among the objects of cultural interest are pottery stoves with grate firelan and oven formed out of the same lump of clay |