For 30 years, Xavier Guerrand-Hermès of the renowned Paris-based fashion empire collected both stunning North African jewelry and historic late 19th- and early 20th-century photographs by some of the region's most prominent photographers. Highlights from the collection will begin a national tour at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art on Oct. 8. "Desert Jewels: North African Jewelry and Photography from the Xavier Guerrand-Hermès Collection," will continue through Jan. 11, 2009, before traveling to several other venues.

The exhibition and national tour are organized by the Museum for African Art in New York and sponsored by Merrill Lynch.

At once visually and intellectually compelling, this work invites contemplation on such topics as imperialism, the environment, war, aesthetic movements, art and cultural identity.

Textiles are powerful communicators of status, gender and accomplishments in Africa. The extraordinary costumes and textiles of the African continent--from ensembles to wrappers to wall hangings to chain mail and accessories/hats--featured in an exhibition drawn from the National Museum of African Art's collection, present a wide array of Africa's textile arts that have seldom or never been on exhibit.

More than 80 superb artworks from one of the world's finest and most respected collections of African art are on view at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art.

Donated to the museum in 2005, the Walt Disney-Tishman collection is known for its unique and rare works of traditional African art from throughout sub-Saharan Africa. The collection has been instrumental in defining the field of African art history in the United States and abroad.

The beauty and richness of Africa's pottery resonates through the traditional and modern ceramic works of art collected by the National Museum of African Art. Examples of the museum´s contemporary and tradional ceramic works from different regions of the continent are on view throughout the museum.

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