Join us for a walkthrough of Striking Iron with curatorial team members Tom Joyce, Allen F. Roberts, Henry J. Drewal, William J. Dewey, and Marla C. Berns. Enjoy a rare opportunity to learn from the research team behind this show.

From 1–4pm, families are invited to find inspiration in our Striking Iron exhibition and to learn how to mold clay using techniques derived from forging iron.

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Parking available in UCLA Lot 4, 398 Westwood Plaza, directly off Sunset Blvd | $12/day

About the Exhibition

Striking Iron is a major international traveling exhibition that reveals the history of invention and technical sophistication that led African blacksmiths to transform one of Earth’s most basic natural resources into objects of life-changing utility, empowerment, and astonishing artistry.

Image credits:

Artist unknown (Luba peoples, Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Ceremonial adze, 19th century
Wood, iron
Collection Neuberger Museum of Art, Purchase College, State University of New York
Gift of Lawrence Gussman in memory of Dr. Albert Schweitzer
Photo courtesy The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

Artist unknown (Ndengese peoples, DRC) Throwing knife currency (oshele) 19th century (for detail, see Cover)
Iron; H: 80.65 cm; W: 64.14 cm; D: 1.27 cm
Private collection
Photography by Don Cole, 2018, ©Fowler Museum at UCLA
Provenance: Joel Cooner Gallery, Dallas

Handle carved by Kwaku Bempah (active early 20th century, Asante peoples, Ghana)
Double clapperless bell (dawuro, nnawuta), circa 1920
Wood, iron
Fowler Museum at UCLA X87.1312; Gift of Elizabeth Lloyd Davis
Photography by Don Cole, 2017, ©Fowler Museum at UCLA
Provenance: Karl-Heinz Krieg, Germany