African Worlds

The exhibition brings together a rich mixture of sculpture and decorative arts. It is a co-curated exhibition which includes many voices; elders, maskers, drummers, diviners, artists and exiles as well as curators and anthropologists.

The exhibition displays objects from across the continent of Africa. It also exhibits artefacts from other countries including Brazil and Trinidad whose cultures were strongly influenced by Africa.

Highlights of the exhibition include masterpieces of bronze art from Benin which depict the arrival of the first Europeans to Africa, and the spectacular Igbo Ijele , Africa's largest mask, and the only one of its kind on display in Britain.

The Ijele sits alongside other impressive Dogon and Bwa masks from Mali and Burkina Faso which themselves tower up to five metres high.

The gallery also features three religious altars from Benin, Haiti and Brazil which reveal an insight into non Western religious beliefs and draw parallels between African societies.

One of the most popular displays is dedicated to Kemet (Ancient Egypt) and showcases Egyptian mummies and other artefacts collected by Frederick Horniman.