WASHINGTON, DC.- The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art launched “Indian Ocean Experience” Dec. 3, a selection of works in its current exhibition “African Mosaic.” This installation of 20 works is part of the museum’s “Connecting the Gems of the Indian Ocean: From Oman to East Africa” project made possible through the Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center in Washington, D.C.

The installation tells the story of diasporic influences and connecting cultures illustrated through rare objects from the permanent collection of the National Museum of African Art and the collection of the Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center. The collection gives a hint of the diverse artistic materials and techniques found throughout the Indian Ocean region, from the skill of Omani smiths to the beauty of Indian patterns, the ingenuity of Swahili coast artisans and the creativity that emerged through commercial and cultural trade among these and other groups. The works were commissioned by the museum and curated by Bryna Freyer, Nicole Shivers and Glenn Ojeda.

“The museum is excited to continue to explore the cultural connections of the Indian Ocean,” said Nicole Shivers, the museum’s education specialist for performing arts and project lead. “We hope that this installation will inspire new reflections on the rich and interconnected artistic cultures of this region.”

Exhibition Highlights

• Gems Insights video series produced as part of the “Connecting the Gems of the Indian Ocean” project containing original footage featuring acclaimed scholars and artisans in Zanzibar, Oman and Washington, D.C.

• A 20th-century wood, iron and brass chest collected in Bagomoyo, Tanzania. It originates from the days when large sailing dhows followed the annual monsoons bringing goods to the east coast of Africa from the Arabian Peninsula, the Persian Gulf and the western coast of India.

• 19th-century Tanzanian door and frame. Ornate Swahili coast doorways combine African, eastern Islamic and Indian influences.

• Early to mid-20th-century jewelry provided by the Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center

• Mid-20th-century glass, silver-alloy rosewater bottle from Mogadishu, Somalia.

The production of rosewater, used in Islamic and Christian purification ceremonies and funerary rituals throughout East Africa, was historically prominent in Oman.

• Silver coffee pot originating from Oman 20th-century provided by the Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center