Coronet (Oríkògbófo) with Chameleons, Around 1920, Yoruba, Southwest Nigeria, Cotton, glass beads, The Ira and Myrna Brind Collection
Coronet (Oríkògbófo) with Chameleons, Around 1920, Yoruba, Southwest Nigeria, Cotton, glass beads, The Ira and Myrna Brind Collection
Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.
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24
April
2025
|
10:04 AM
America/New_York

Head to Toe: African and Asian Wearables from the Ira and Myrna Brind Collection

May 9, 2025 - January 19, 2026
Penny and Bob Fox Hall
  • Wedding Diadem, Late 1800s to early 1900s, Yomut, Central Asia (Turkmenistan), Silver with gilding and carnelian, The Ira and Myrna Brind Collection
    Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.
  • Three Neck Rings, Early to later 1900s, Miao, China (Guizhou province), Silver, The Ira and Myrna Brind Collection
    Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.
  • Married Woman’s Apron (Ijogolo), 1850–1900, Ndebele, South Africa, Cotton, leather, glass beads, The Ira and Myrna Brind Collection
    Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.
  • Bridal Headdress, Early 1900s, Yao, China (Guangxi province), Lacquered coton plain weave, bamboo, glass beads, silk yarns, The Ira and Myrna Brind Collection
    Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.
  • Coronet (Oríkògbófo) with Chameleons, Around 1920, Yoruba, Southwest Nigeria, Cotton, glass beads, The Ira and Myrna Brind Collection
    Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.
  • Bwami Society Headdress, Early 1900s, Lega, Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Plant fiber, cowrie and oyster shells, warthog tusk, The Ira and Myrna Brind Collection
    Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.
  • Woman’s Diadem, Early 1900s, Yi, China (Sichuan province), Silver with gilding, wool, The Ira and Myrna Brind Collection
    Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.
  • Pair of Fibulas, 1800–1950, Amazigh, Tunisia, Silver, The Ira and Myrna Brind Collection
    Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.
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April 24, 2025 – The Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) is thrilled to announce Head to Toe: African and Asian Wearables, the inaugural presentation of the Ira and Myrna Brind Collection. Comprised of jewelry, headdresses, and textiles, the display will explore how notions of value and status are encoded within artistic media. Over 50 objects will be on show from May 9, 2025, in advance of the new Brind Center permanent galleries opening in 2026.

Head to Toe will examine how trade and other forms of exchange have influenced the meaning of specific materials for the cultures they represent, and how objects acquired abroad can become incorporated into local systems of meaning.

“Having my collection on display at the Philadelphia Museum of Art is, for me, a dream come true. It is the result of collecting for over 45 years,” said PMA Board Trustee Ira Brind. “This exhibit shares important and historic examples of the artistic, cultural, and spiritual lives of communities across Africa and Asia. It helps bring insights into the world many have come from. In creating the Brind Center, it was always my goal to open possibilities for cross curatorial dialogue, exploration, and collaboration, but especially to bring these amazing works to the people of Philadelphia. I hope this first exhibition starts a conversation that resonates throughout the city and beyond.”

Despite their great cultural and artistic importance, personal adornments are rarely the focus of presentations of African art. One area of this installation will foreground wearables from selected communities across the African continent, paying special attention to the aesthetic, spiritual, historical, and commercial dimensions of their materials. Objects of particular interest include a Yoruba crown depicting two crimson chameleons fashioned out of glass beads; two 19th-century fibulae made by an Amazigh silversmith from present-day Tunisia; and a Lega headdress from the Democratic Republic of Congo, carefully constructed with raffia, cowries, mussel shells, and warthog tusk for a member of the Bwami society. These adornments would have been worn for a variety of public engagements, from weddings to initiation ceremonies, marking the wearer’s position or status within their community.

A neighboring space will feature headdresses and ornaments from Asia spanning the late-19th to mid-20th centuries. The selection illustrates the artistic legacy of ethnic minority peoples from China, Southeast Asia, and Central Asia whose work has often been overlooked within art museums. Highlights will include a wedding diadem from Turkmenistan, Central Asia, fashioned from gilded silver and inset with carnelian, and a butterfly-shaped bridal headdress from the Yao community in China, revealing the skill behind objects crafted with lacquered cotton, bamboo, and vibrant silk yarn.

Head to Toe is curated by Imani Roach, who was appointed as the Brind Center’s inaugural director and curator in 2024, and Hiromi Kinoshita, the Hannah L. and J. Welles Curator of Chinese Art.

The Brind Center for African and African Diasporic Art was established by a founding gift from Ira Brind and Stacey Spector in 2022. The Center is endowed by Ira Brind and is dedicated to expanding the scope and reach of the museum’s collection of art from across Africa, the Americas, and the wider African diaspora. Additional support for the Center is provided by the Connelly Foundation, Mr. David Haas, Ms. Lisa S. Roberts and Mr. David W. Seltzer, and other generous donors.

"Ira Brind’s transformative gifts, both financial and through the gift of his collection, has created a new and sustainable infrastructure for the art of Africa and its Diaspora at the Philadelphia Museum of Art,” said Sasha Suda, the George D. Widener Director and CEO. “Ira’s gift has allowed us build and inspire a fuller, more inclusive art narrative for our visitors, as well as expand the scope and reach of the PMA collection. I could not be happier to present this inaugural installation.”  

Support
The Brind Center for African and African Diasporic Art was established by a founding gift from Ira Brind and Stacey Spector. Additional support for the Center is provided by the Connelly Foundation, Mr. David Haas, Ms. Lisa S. Roberts and Mr. David W. Seltzer, and other generous donors.

Media Contact: 
Maggie Fairs, Philadelphia Museum of Art 
E: maggie.fairs@philamuseum.org  
M: (215) 684-7862 

About the Philadelphia Museum of Art
The Philadelphia Museum of Art is a national and international destination for art, but first we are Philadelphia’s Museum of Art – for all the many diverse communities of the city. Through our collections, exhibitions, events, educational activities, celebrations, and more, the PMA is a storyteller, and we welcome everyone to be part of the story – our doors are wide open. To learn more, visit www.philamuseum.org.

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