Event Details

Very few places in the world have such a strong connection to iron as Sub-Saharan Africa. For over two millennia, the forging of one of the planet’s most fundamental materials has revolutionised the continent and profoundly shaped its communities and cultures, from fields to homes and from battlefields to religious sites. Under the hammer of African blacksmiths, masters of fire and virtuosos of transformation, the metal is cast, forged, beaten then metamorphosed into tools, or in some cases vested with social and spiritual power, always with incredible artistic sensitivity. "Striking Iron. The Art of African Blacksmiths" presents the vast diversity of forms and traditions surrounding iron in different regions of Sub-Saharan Africa. 230 pieces produced between the 17th century and the modern-day, ranging from wood sculptures to currencies in a myriad of shapes and sizes, diverse musical instruments, weapons and prestigious objects, all attesting to the talent and technical sophistication of African blacksmiths, figures that are equally venerated and feared.