UW Art Museum Receives Gift of Ancient Small Bronzes

The University of Wyoming Art Museum recently received a gift of 35 small bronzes, dating from the 13th to first centuries B.C.

A gift from the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, the bronzes originate from the horse-riding dwellers of the Eurasian Steppe, a region that extends from Northern China westward through Mongolia to the plains of Eastern Europe.

Bronzes in the collection range from a 10-inch-long sword to a 1-inch garment ornament of an animal head. Small bronze sculptures, such as these, are the best-documented artistic medium from the Eurasian grasslands, says Susan Moldenhauer, UW Art Museum director and chief curator.

“This significant gift represents only a fraction of the collection Arthur M. Sackler amassed over his lifetime, and it is a testament to Dr. Sackler’s generosity and avid support of the arts,” Moldenhauer says. “The museum looks forward to sharing these beautiful small works with the academic community, preschool through 12th-grade students and the general public.”

A selection of the small bronzes will be included in the summer exhibition “New Acquisitions: The Art Museum Collection,” which will be on display June 8-July 23 at the Art Museum.

For more information, call the Art Museum at (307) 766-6622, visit the website at www.uwyo.edu/artmuseum, or follow the museum on Facebook and Instagram.

Through its “Museum as Classroom” approach, the UW Art Museum places art at the center of learning for all ages. Located in the Centennial Complex at 2111 Willett Drive in Laramie, the museum is open Mondays through Saturdays from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday hours are extended to 7 p.m. February through April and September through November. Admission is free.

About Arthur M. Sackler

Although he was a research psychiatrist and entrepreneur, Sackler was an avid student of art history, and Asian art became the core of his collections. A generous benefactor, Sackler funded many museums and galleries, including the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery at the Smithsonian Institution and the Sackler Wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The Arthur M. Sackler Foundation was established in 1965 to make available to the public his extensive art collection. For more information about the foundation, visit http://arthurmsacklerfdn.org/.