The Yale Art Gallery

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My first visit was to The Yale Art Gallery. Without pictures it is hard for me to explain to impact this place had on me. I have been past this gallery lots of times and had never gone inside, it was great. My whole family accompanied me. The Yale Art Gallery was founded in 1832, is one of the oldest college art museums in the world. The permanent collection showcases artwork from twentieth century African, Chinese paintings from the Tang dynasty, modernist sculpture, American paintings and decorative arts and many more. The most interesting thing I saw was a mask, yes a mask. This was no ordinary mask, it was beautiful. It was very large (80 pounds) and had an exaggerated head and breasts. I took this to mean Strength in Nurture of a Woman. This particular mask was said to represent a beautiful mother, used during weddings, funerals or any major events. The funny thing about the ceremonies is that men wear these masks because they are so heavy. The masks are by Charles B. Benenson, B.A. 1933, Mouya Congo (Kinshasa) late 19th early 20th century.