National Museum of African Art

Washington, DC


Enter the museum’s ground-level pavilion through the Enid A Haupt Garden, then descend into the dim underground exhibit space. Devoted to ancient and modern sub-Saharan African art, the quiet galleries display wooden masks, beaded textiles, ceramics, fetish dolls and other examples of the region's visual traditions. Intentionally or not, there’s a definite West African focus with lots of traditional art from Nigeria, Benin and Cameroon.

One-hour guided highlights tours are usually available at 10.30am a few days per week – check the events schedule for details. African dance troupes, theater companies and multimedia artists frequently stage shows here. An underground tunnel connects to the Sackler Gallery.


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