National Museum of African Art, a bureau of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., features the traditional art of Africa south of the Sahara. It is the oldest museum in the United States devoted solely to the collection, exhibition, and study of African art. Works from central and west Africa make up a large part of the museum’s collection. In addition, the museum exhibits both ancient and contemporary art from the entire continent. The collection includes traditional works, such as masks and figures for ceremonial purposes, as well as ceramics, musical instruments, textiles, and furniture. The collection also displays modern African paintings, prints, sculptures, and other kinds of fine arts.
The museum was established in 1964 as a private educational institution called the Museum of African Art. It became a bureau of the Smithsonian Institution in 1979 and took its present name in 1981. The National Museum of African Art opened in a new underground building on the National Mall in 1987.
