Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time: Art, Culture, and Medieval Trans-Saharan Exchange

FAIN: GI-261115-18

Northwestern University (Evanston, IL 60208-0001)
Lisa Graziose Corrin (Project Director: January 2018 to October 2022)

Implementation of a traveling museum exhibition on the trade network that linked West Africa, the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe from the eighth to the sixteenth century.

The traveling exhibition Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time: Art, Culture, and Medieval Trans-Saharan Exchange will reshape perceptions of the medieval past by looking at this era from the perspective of West Africa. It will reveal the global interdependencies that bourgeoned across a vast network of exchange, with West African gold as the primary impetus. Desire for gold drove movement across the Sahara Desert, and provided avenues for amassing wealth and power, fueling the rise and fall of empires. Organized by the Block Museum of Art at Northwestern University, free and open to the public, the exhibition will open in January 2019, and travel to three additional venues through December 2020, including the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art. The exhibition comprises over 250 objects, including sculptures, paintings, jewelry, manuscripts, and archaeological fragments, many of which are on loan for the first time from sites in Mali, Morocco, and Nigeria.

Media Coverage

Caravans of Gold at the National Museum of African Art (Review)
Author(s): Lloyd de Beer
Publication: London Review of Books
Date: 2/4/2021
Abstract: Review of exhibition
URL: https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v43/n03/lloyd-de-beer/at-the-national-museum-of-african-art

Kathleen Bickford Berzock, ed., Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time: Art, Culture, and Exchange Across Medieval Saharan Africa (Review)
Author(s): Shirin Fozi
Publication: Speculum
Date: 10/1/2020
Abstract: Review of exhibition catalog
URL: https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/710979

Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time: Art, Culture, and Exchange across Medieval Saharan Africa (Review)
Author(s): Mariam Rosser-Owens
Publication: The Burlington Magazine
Date: 5/1/2020
Abstract: Review of exhibition
URL: https://www.burlington.org.uk/archive/exhibition-review/caravans-of-gold-fragments-in-time-art-culture-and-exchange-across-medieval-saharan-africa

‘Caravans of Gold’ app allows global audience to learn about medieval Africa (Media Coverage)
Publication: Medievalists.net
Date: 7/10/2020
Abstract: Media coverage of progressive web application resource
URL: https://www.medievalists.net/2020/07/caravans-of-gold-app/

Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time web app (Media Coverage)
Publication: Apollo Magazine
Date: 6/19/2020
Abstract: Coverage of progressive web application
URL: https://www.apollo-magazine.com/caravans-of-gold-fragments-in-time-web-app/

Desert Empires: Wonders to Behold (Media Coverage)
Author(s):
Publication: New York Times
Date: 1/30/2020
Abstract: Mention of Caravans of Gold in article
URL: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/30/arts/design/sahel-review-metropolitan-museum.html

‘Caravans of Gold’ reminds us that Africa has always been connected to the rest of the world (Review)
Author(s): Lee Ann Norman
Publication: Chicago Reader
Date: 2/7/2019
Abstract: Review of Caravans of Gold exhibition
URL: https://chicagoreader.com/arts-culture/caravans-of-gold-reminds-us-that-africa-has-always-been-connected-to-the-rest-of-the-world/

‘Arresting’ Exhibition Showcases Fine Art, Sculpture of Medieval Africa (Media Coverage)
Author(s): Marc Vitali
Publication: WTTW
Date: 1/29/2019
Abstract: Coverage of Caravans of Gold exhibition
URL: https://news.wttw.com/2019/01/29/arresting-exhibition-showcases-fine-art-sculpture-medieval-africa

How Northwestern Got Its Hands on Rare Medieval African Art (Media Coverage)
Author(s): Jason Foumberg
Publication: Chicago Magazine
Date: 1/22/2019
Abstract: Coverage of Caravans of Gold exhibition
URL: https://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/January-2019/How-Northwestern-Got-Its-Hands-on-Rare-Medieval-African-Art/

Pick of the Week: Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time (Media Coverage)
Author(s):
Publication: Apollo Magazine
Date: 1/17/2019
Abstract: Coverage of Caravans of Gold exhibition
URL: https://www.apollo-magazine.com/art-diary/caravans-of-gold-fragments-in-time/

5 Objects That Illuminate the Medieval Exchange Between Africa and Europe (Media Coverage)
Author(s): Jonathan Carey
Publication: Atlas Obscura
Date: 1/16/2019
Abstract: Coverage of Caravans of Gold exhibition
URL: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/trade-between-africa-and-medieval-europe

When Saharan sands glittered with gold: how the world's largest desert was a major medieval trade route (Media Coverage)
Author(s): Jason Foumberg
Publication: The Art Newspaper
Date: 1/24/2019
Abstract: Coverage of Caravans of Gold exhibition
URL: https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2019/01/24/when-saharan-sands-glittered-with-gold-how-the-worlds-largest-desert-was-a-major-medieval-trade-route

10 Best Museum Exhibits in Chicago for 2019 (Media Coverage)
Author(s): Steve Johnson
Publication: Chicago Tribune
Date: 12/18/2019
Abstract: Coverage of Caravans of Gold exhibition
URL: https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/museums/ct-ent-2019-10-best-museum-exhibits-liststory-ttd-1219-20191218-z2zzj3l5vretnfsvcalkqcbhpa-list.html

Showcasing the Sophistication of Medieval African Art: A Review of Caravans of Gold at the Block Museum (Media Coverage)
Author(s): Luke Fidler
Publication: Newcity Art
Date: 5/28/2019
Abstract: Review of Caravans of Gold exhibition
URL: https://art.newcity.com/2019/05/28/showcasing-the-sophistication-of-medieval-african-art-a-review-of-caravans-of-gold-at-the-block-museum/

Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time (Review)
Author(s):
Publication: New Art Examiner
Date: 3/12/2019
Abstract: Review of exhibition Caravans of Gold

Art Historians Are Using Cutting-Edge Medical Technology to Study Sculptures (Media Coverage)
Author(s): Jasmine Weber
Publication: Hyperallergic
Date: 2/20/2019
Abstract: Coverage of Caravans of Gold exhibition
URL: https://hyperallergic.com/485728/art-historians-are-using-cutting-edge-medical-technology-to-study-sculptures/

The must-see exhibitions of 2019 — America (Media Coverage)
Author(s):
Publication: Christie's
Date: 7/4/2019
Abstract: Coverage of Caravans of Gold exhibition
URL: https://www.christies.com/features/The-must-see-exhibitions-of-2019-America-9684-1.aspx

New Exhibition Highlights Story of the Richest Man Who Ever Lived (Media Coverage)
Author(s): Jason Daley
Publication: Smithsonian.org
Date: 2/5/2019
Abstract: Coverage of Caravans of Gold exhibition
URL: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/richest-man-who-ever-lived-180971409/

Smithsonian Staffers Scramble to Make Up Time Lost During Government Shutdown (Media Coverage)
Author(s): Jane Recker
Publication: Smithsonian Magazine
Date: 1/29/2019
Abstract: Coverage of Caravans of Gold exhibition
URL: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/smithsonian-staffers-scramble-makeup-time-lost-government-shutdown-180971372/

En pleine controverse sur la restitution, l'âge d'or du continent africain célébré à Chicago (Media Coverage)
Author(s):
Publication: Agence France Presse
Date: 1/26/2019
Abstract: Coverage of Caravans of Gold exhibition
URL: https://www.afp.com/fr/infos/3732/en-pleine-controverse-sur-la-restitution-lage-dor-du-continent-africain-celebre-chicago-doc-1co64p1

Assembling the fragments of Africa’s medieval past (Media Coverage)
Author(s): Kathleen Bickford Berzock
Publication: Apollo: The International Art Magazine
Date: 1/24/2019
Abstract: Article by Caravans of Gold curator Kathleen Bickford Berzock
URL: https://www.apollo-magazine.com/assembling-the-fragments-of-africas-medieval-past/

Scientists prove gold purifying process used in medieval West Africa works (Media Coverage)
Author(s):
Publication: Art Daily
Date: 5/10/2019
Abstract: Mention of Caravans of Gold
URL: https://artdaily.cc/news/113449/Scientists-prove-gold-purifying-process-used-in-medieval-West-Africa-works#.ZFLDwezMJBx

Africa’s Overlooked Role in Medieval Art History (Review)
Author(s): Claire Voon
Publication: Art & Object
Date: 4/8/2019
Abstract: Review of Caravans of Gold exhibition
URL: https://www.artandobject.com/articles/africas-overlooked-role-medieval-art-history

Moving the Middle (Review)
Author(s): Josephine Livingstone
Publication: Art in America
Date: 3/29/2019
Abstract: Exhibition review of Caravans of Gold
URL: https://www.artnews.com/art-in-america/features/caravans-of-gold-moving-the-middle-63621/

In Centering West Africa, an Exhibition Tells Another Story of the Medieval Period (Review)
Author(s): Seph Rodney
Publication: Hyperallergic
Date: 3/15/2019
Abstract: Review of exhibition Caravans of Gold
URL: https://hyperallergic.com/488133/caravans-of-gold-fragments-in-time-art-culture-and-exchange-across-medieval-saharan-africa/

Raising the Cultural Bar on Campuses (Media Coverage)
Author(s): Kerry Hannon
Publication: New York Times
Date: 3/12/2019
Abstract: Mention of Caravans of Gold in article
URL: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/12/arts/college-university-museums.html

Could repatriation of looted African cultural artifacts ignite an African Renaissance? (Media Coverage)
Author(s): Alexia Walker
Publication: Business Day
Date: 3/7/2019
Abstract: Mention of Caravans of Gold in article
URL: https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/life/arts-and-entertainment/2019-03-07-alexia-walker-could-repatriation-of-looted-african-cultural-artifacts-ignite-an-african-renaissance/

Kathleen Bickford Berzock (Ed.): Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time: Art, Culture, and Exchange Across Medieval Saharan Africa (Review)
Author(s): Anne Haour
Publication: African Archaeological Review
Date: 1/24/2020
Abstract: Review of Caravans of Gold catalog
URL: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10437-020-09362-1

Best of 2019: Our Top 20 United States Art Shows (Media Coverage)
Author(s):
Publication: Hyperallergic
Date: 12/12/2019
Abstract: Mention of Caravans of Gold exhibition
URL: https://hyperallergic.com/532870/best-of-2019-our-top-20-united-states-art-shows/

Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time: Art, Culture, and Exchange Across Medieval Saharan Africa (Review)
Author(s): Steven Gish
Publication: African Studies Quarterly
Date: 10/1/2019
Abstract: Review of exhibition catalog
URL: https://www.proquest.com/docview/2344257760

Kathleen Bickford Berzock, ed. Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time: Art, Culture, and Exchange across Medieval Saharan Africa (Review)
Author(s): Elizabeth Perrill
Publication: College Art Association Reviews
Date: 10/24/2019
Abstract: Review of exhibition catalog
URL: http://caareviews.org/reviews/3644#.ZFLBKuzMJBz

Bringing African Artifacts Home (Media Coverage)
Author(s): Damola Durosomo
Publication: Okay Africa
Date: 6/6/2019
Abstract: Mention of Caravans of Gold exhibition
URL: https://www.okayafrica.com/bringing-african-artifacts-home-benin-ethiopia-france-art-restitution-repatriation/

Africa's Lost Kingdoms (Review)
Author(s): Howard W. French
Publication: The New York Review of Books
Date: 6/6/2019
Abstract: Book review that includes Caravans of Gold

Associated Products

Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time: Art, Culture, and Exchange across Medieval Saharan Africa (Catalog)
Title: Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time: Art, Culture, and Exchange across Medieval Saharan Africa
Author: Kathleen Bickford Berzock
Author: Chris Abani
Author: Robert Launay
Author: Ralph A. Austen
Author: Mamadi Dembele
Author: Ahmed Ettahiri
Author: Youssef Khiara
Author: Yousuf Abdallah Usman
Author: Cynthia Becker
Author: Ronald A. Messier
Author: Abdallah Fili
Author: Sam Nixon
Author: Mamadou Cisse
Author: Detlef Gronenborn
Author: Sarah M. Guerin
Author: Gianluca Pastorelli
Author: Marc Walton
Author: Abidemi Babatunde Babalola
Author: Mauro Nobili
Author: Raymond Silverman
Author: Gayla Ben-Arieh
Abstract: How West African gold and trade across the Sahara were central to the medieval world The Sahara Desert was a thriving crossroads of exchange for West Africa, North Africa, the Middle East, and Europe in the medieval period. Fueling this exchange was West African gold, prized for its purity and used for minting currencies and adorning luxury objects such as jewelry, textiles, and religious objects. Caravans made the arduous journey by camel southward across the Sahara carrying goods for trade—glass vessels and beads, glazed ceramics, copper, books, and foodstuffs, including salt, which was obtained in the middle of the desert. Northward, the journey brought not only gold but also ivory, animal hides and leatherwork, spices, and captives from West Africa forced into slavery. Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time draws on the latest archaeological discoveries and art historical research to construct a compelling look at medieval trans-Saharan exchange and its legacy. Contributors from diverse disciplines present case studies that form a rich portrayal of a distant time. Topics include descriptions of key medieval cities around the Sahara; networks of exchange that contributed to the circulation of gold, copper, and ivory and their associated art forms; and medieval glass bead production in West Africa’s forest region. The volume also reflects on Morocco’s Gnawa material culture, associated with descendants of West African slaves, and movements of people across the Sahara today. Featuring a wealth of color images, this fascinating book demonstrates how the rootedness of place, culture, and tradition is closely tied to the circulation of people, objects, and ideas. These “fragments in time” offer irrefutable evidence of the key role that Africa played in medieval history and promote a new understanding of the past and the present.
Year: 2019
Primary URL: https://www.worldcat.org/title/caravans-of-gold-fragments-in-time-art-culture-and-exchange-across-medieval-saharan-africa/oclc/1032654614&referer=brief_results
Primary URL Description: The worldcat.org record for the exhibition companion publication.
Secondary URL: https://press.princeton.edu/titles/14202.html
Secondary URL Description: Princeton University Press page describing the book and offering point of sale.
Catalog Type: Exhibition Catalog
Publisher: The Block Museum of Art, Northwestern University, in association with Princeton University Press

Prizes

Shortlist for The Alice Award
Date: 9/12/2019
Organization: Furthermore: The grants in publishing program of the J.M. Kaplan Fund
Abstract: The Alice is an annual award created in honor of Alice M. Kaplan and given for the exemplary publication of an illustrated book. The Alice carries an award of $25,000 with an additional $5,000 for each of the short listed books.

2020 Award for Excellence
Date: 4/22/2020
Organization: Association of Art Museum Curators
Abstract: 2020 Award for Excellence, Catalogue Award for an organization with an operating budget under $5 million.

Finalist for PROSE Award
Date: 2/12/2020
Organization: Association of American Publishers
Abstract: Since 1976, the Association of American Publishers’ annual PROSE Awards have recognized publishers who produce books, journals, and digital products of extraordinary merit that make a significant contribution to a field of study each year.

Arnold Rubin Outstanding Publication Award
Date: 6/16/2021
Organization: Arts Council of the African Studies Association
Abstract: The Arnold Rubin Outstanding Book Award is given for excellence in scholarship on the arts of Africa and the African Diaspora. The awards committee will assess works of original scholarship and excellence in visual presentation that makes significant contribution to our understanding of African arts and material culture. While our awards committee is made up of volunteers with varied language skills, we welcome submissions in languages other than English and we will do our best to solicit suitable ACASA members as outside readers for assistance.

Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time: Art, Culture, and Exchange across Medieval Saharan Africa (Exhibition)
Title: Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time: Art, Culture, and Exchange across Medieval Saharan Africa
Curator: Kathleen Bickford Berzock
Abstract: Caravans of Gold is the first major exhibition addressing the scope of Saharan trade and the shared history of West Africa, the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe from the eighth to sixteenth centuries. Weaving stories about interconnected histories, the exhibition showcases the objects and ideas that connected at the crossroads of the medieval Sahara and celebrates West Africa’s historic and underrecognized global significance. Caravans of Gold draws on recent archaeological discoveries, including rare fragments from major medieval African trading centers like Sijilmasa, Gao, and Tadmekka. These “fragments in time” are seen alongside works of art that invite us to imagine them as they once were. They are the starting point for a new understanding of the medieval past and for seeing the present in a new light. Presenting more than 250 artworks spanning five centuries and a vast geographic expanse, the exhibition features unprecedented loans from partner institutions in Mali, Morocco, and Nigeria, many of which will be seen in North America for the first time. The Block Museum exhibition will travel to The Aga Khan Museum in Toronto (Sept. 21, 2019 – Feb. 23, 2020) and then to the National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institute (April 8 – Nov. 29, 2020)
Year: 2018
Primary URL: https://www.blockmuseum.northwestern.edu/exhibitions/2019/caravans-of-gold,-fragments-in-time-art,-culture,-and-exchange-across-medieval-saharan-africa.html
Primary URL Description: Exhibition page on organizing museum's website.

Prizes

ACASA Award for Curatorial Excellence
Date: 3/14/2020
Organization: Arts Council of the African Studies Association (ACASA)
Abstract: The Awards for Curatorial Excellence recognize the important contributions to the dissemination and understanding of African and African Diaspora Arts made through exhibitions. Exhibitions related to permanent collections, loan shows, commissioned works or community interventions organized by museums, galleries, cultural centers, and exhibition spaces of all sorts are eligible. Up to two awards for curatorial excellence will be given. Runners up may also be recognized.

Award for Superior Achievement in Best Practices
Date: 11/19/2019
Organization: Illinois Association of Museums
Abstract: The IAM’s Awards of Distinction recognize achievements and excellence in the museum field. The Superior Achievement Award recognizes achievements that are models for the profession and reach a greater audience than is normally reached by the nominating institution.

Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time: Art, Culture, and Exchange Across Medieval Saharan Africa (Companion Website) (Web Resource)
Title: Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time: Art, Culture, and Exchange Across Medieval Saharan Africa (Companion Website)
Author: The Block Museum of Art
Abstract: Here you will find in-depth information about the Caravans of Gold exhibition, including images and information about key objects and artworks from the exhibition, interviews with experts, and resources to support teaching and learning.
Year: 2019
Primary URL: https://caravansofgold.org/
Primary URL Description: Companion website for Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time: Art, Culture, and Exchange Across Medieval Saharan Africa.

Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time Art, Culture, and Exchange across Medieval Saharan Africa (PWA) (Web Resource)
Title: Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time Art, Culture, and Exchange across Medieval Saharan Africa (PWA)
Author: Dr. Kathleen Bickford Berzock
Author: Sarah M. Estrela
Author: Melanie Garcia Sympson
Author: Chris Diaz
Author: Emily Andrey
Author: Lois Biggs
Author: Meghan Clare Considine
Author: Brian Rogers Cook
Author: Zoe Detweiler
Author: Brianna Heath
Author: Nicholas Liou
Author: Mina Milaz
Author: Joely Simon
Author: Cindy Qian
Author: Elizabeth Zhang
Abstract: A digital project exploring the global reach of medieval Saharan exchange from the eighth to sixteenth centuries.
Year: 2019
Primary URL: https://caravans.library.northwestern.edu/
Primary URL Description: This website presents a condensed digital version of the exhibition Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time: Art, Culture, and Exchange across Medieval Saharan Africa and highlights some of the important objects that were featured in it. Organized by The Block Museum of Art, Northwestern University, the exhibition was on view from January 26 through July 21, 2019. The exhibition was also presented at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, Canada (Sept. 21, 2019–Feb. 23, 2020) and the National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, in Washington, D.C. (TBD, Fall 2020–21).

Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time: Art, Culture, and Exchange Across Medieval Africa: A Teacher's Guide (Web Resource)
Title: Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time: Art, Culture, and Exchange Across Medieval Africa: A Teacher's Guide
Author: Lauren C. Watkins
Author: Amy Settergren
Author: Kathleen Bickford Berzock
Author: Melanie Garcia Sympson
Author: América Salomon
Abstract: The Block Museum of Art at Northwestern University is proud to announce the publication of a Teacher’s Guide and a list of Recommended Resources to support educators in teaching about the history of medieval West Africa and its resonances today. The packet, accessible to a non-specialist audience, can be used alongside the touring exhibition Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time or independently with online materials. This free collection of activities, lessons, and further readings is intended to support students by helping them: - Make connections between the past and the present - Critically examine history - Shape perceptions of Africa and expand their worldview The Teacher’s Guide begins and ends with a series of activities to contextualize the Caravans of Gold story and to help students understand what is at stake in learning this history. Individual lessons explore different facets of the story through key objects and case studies. We offer prompts for looking closely at objects, and we share background information that can help teachers and students learn more about medieval trans-Saharan trade. The Recommended Resources document contains resources for extending your exploration.
Year: 2020
Primary URL: https://nublockmuseum.blog/2020/05/20/now-available-k-12-teachers-resource-guide-for-caravans-of-gold-fragments-in-time/
Secondary URL: https://africa.si.edu/exhibitions/current-exhibitions/caravans-of-gold-fragments-in-time-art-culture-and-exchange-across-medieval-saharan-africa/teachers-guide/

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