He looks just like one of our objects
In my spare time when I’m not thinking of ways to respond to e-mails on match.com, I work at a museum on campus.
These days I’m working with the African collection in storage. This might sound new and exciting but color coding index cards is not as creatively stimulating as it sounds.
Why am I working at a museum you might ask, well they pay, but overall it has been a nice experience, but back to the topic at hand.
Half of these African items look like their straight out of a voodoo man’s closet. There’s this one with feather’s sticking out of it which the museum people affectionatley call “Fred the medicine head” and then their’s one with some kind of wood going through it’s mouth. Seems to me like they were trying to stop a snitch.
My favorite of all, is the wodden doll with it’s legs broken. The conservator says she thinks it’s a replica of the woman that owned it. She also said that broken legs symbolize that the owner has died. What is also significant is that the doll has a little pouch on top of her head, which we think is the remains of the owner’s circumcized genitals. Bet you didn’t see that coming. Yes apparently, it was not enought to just be circumcized, you also had to wear it on your head so people would know.
All the big macho men in the class were afraid to touch the doll. As if the’ve never touched female genitals before.
The conservator as well as the museum director are atheists I suspect. They say, “it’s just a peice of wood. Right, there is no such thing, I mean I touch it, but anyone with african or caribbean ancestory knows that voodoo, magic and other forms of african religions are real and these things are not just toys.
Despite everything, it’s been a fun experience. As long as Fred and his friends don’t move or talk back, I’ll continue working.
