Art collectors Nadine and Stefan Cohen have donated their unique art collection, which includes a variety of jewelry and beer stein lids used by the Zulu people of Africa. Some of the rare items will be featured in an exhibition dedicated to African art at the Haifa Museum of Art.
Recently, an extraordinary and unique donation was received at the Haifa Museums: art collectors Nadine and Stefan Cohen donated their collection of African art, which includes over 700 different items. The collection includes hundreds of original items created and used by the Zulu people of Africa, such as unique jewelry - necklaces, amulets, bracelets, and more, which have religious and cultural significance.
The donation includes the world's most comprehensive collection of beer jug lids, which were handmade from palm leaves and decorated with special decorations that have symbolic, social and religious significance. On April 3.4.25, XNUMX, the new exhibition season will open at the Haifa Museum of Art, which will include a comprehensive exhibition of original art and cultural items from Africa, entitled "The Voice of Africa - The African Collection Rediscovered." The exhibition is curated by Dorit Shapir. The exhibition will feature items from the Cohen couple's collection donated to the Haifa Museums, as well as items from the rich ethnological collection that has been researched and restored over the past four years.
According to Ran Hillel, Director of Collections at Haifa Museums: "Nadine and Stephen's donation is important and of great historical and cultural value. Beyond the large quantity of items we received, it is their uniqueness and the fact that some of them are even dated that gives great importance to this collection. We received, for example, jewelry called "love letters," which are necklaces with beaded squares, where the color and arrangement of the beads are a code that conveys romantic messages and indicates the social and economic status of the wearer. Lids for beer jugs are unique to the Zulu people, and beyond their amazing color, they tell us a story - because each lid was intended for use in different events or ceremonies."
According to Stephen Cohen: "I was born and raised in Durban, South Africa, where I was exposed to Zulu culture and began collecting art pieces representing this people. Nadine and I continued to expand the collection even after we moved to the United States with our children, focusing in particular on collecting traditional beer jug lids. When we immigrated to Israel in 2022, we were looking for a museum home for the collection, firstly to share it with museum visitors and secondly to ensure that the collection would be preserved and cared for properly over the years. Happily, we found this home in the Haifa Museums and we welcome the wonderful cooperation with the museum management, headed by Yotam Yakir; with the Collections Department, headed by Ran Hillel; and with the Chief Curator of the Haifa Museum of Art, Kobi Ben-Meir."
According to Yotam Yakir, CEO of Haifa Museums: "In recent years, we have been investing heavily in cataloging and preserving the many rare collections we have in the Haifa museums. Many items are undergoing conservation processes so that they can be presented to the public. I congratulate and sincerely thank Steven and Nadine Cohen for their generous contribution, which has enriched our collection with unique items on an international level."
Congratulations to the museums in Haifa. Good morning.