Start with Art
Ancient Bronzes from the Asian Grasslands
from the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation
January 24 - March 28
Start with Art: Ancient Bronzes of the Asian Grasslands will use the artifacts in this visiting exhibition as a point of entry facilitating the integration of art into other curriculum areas.
While visiting the museum, students will tour the permanent collection and this exhibit, learning about the grasslands culture. They will also create metal relief sculptures based on the artifacts in the exhibit.
This program fulfills Oklahoma PASS objectives during the museum trip and in the classroom with supplementary classroom materials. Follow-up activities included in the educator’s guide include lesson-plan ideas and opportunities for reading, writing, and further critical thinking.
About the Exhibition:
This exhibition presents for the first time a major sampling of the steppe art from the renowned collections of the late Arthur M. Sackler, M.D. The seventy-seven works illustrate the personal decorations and equipment of the horse-riding steppe dwellers of the late second and first millennia BCE. The bronze belt buckles, plaques and weapons of these ancient horsemen are ornate, technically sophisticated, and richly patterned. Animal motifs including antlered stags, wild boars, and birds of prey are a primary theme. The exhibition reveals how these steppe cultures used the animal world as a source of symbols to indicate tribe, social rank and connection to the spirit world.
Materials for Educators:
Ancient Bronzes Educator's Guide
Cast an Ornament
Step-by-step directions for the art project described in the educator's guide.
Bronze Casting
Handout describing bronze casting methods to accompany the educator's guide.
Bronze Ornaments
Handout with images of select bronze ornaments to accompany the educator's guide.
Maps
Handout with applicable maps to accompany the educator's guide.
The Steppe Dwellers and the Silk Road
Handout with information about exports, the Silk Road, and Chinese influence to accompany the educator's guide.
