Arts and Cultures of Star Wars
HISTART 265
Faculty Curator: Bryan Miller (History of Art; UM Museum of Anthropological Archaeology)
On view: Winter 2024
Utagawa Kunisada, Yoshitsune's Letter from Koshigoe: Nakamura Utaemon IV as Gotobei, 1849, woodblock print on paper, Gift of Ruth W. and Clarence J. Boldt, Jr.
2008/2.425.3
The Star Wars universe has a complicated relationship with colonialism. The story of rebellion against the Galactic Empire was conceived as a critique of colonial powers and their imperialistic endeavors. Although set within mythological science-fiction worlds dominated by assertive regimes, much attention in the Star Wars space operas focus on those at the margins. The designers of the clothing and equipment of the alien cultures in the film, television, and book series drew upon garments, armor, and weapons produced by people all over the world, many of them subjected to settler colonialism.
The weapons and armor pieces on display for this installation are in the collection of the U-M Museum of Anthropological Archaeology. They were selected for this installation to generate critical discussion about the representation of cultural difference and imperial encounter in the Star Wars films. Being on view side-by-side with objects in UMMA’s collection invites a more critical gaze on the ways the Galactic Empire was inspired by European and US settler colonialism.
Works included in this collection
Accession Number
1999/1.96
Title
Canyon de Chelly
Artist(s)
Edward S. Curtis
Artist Nationality
American (North American)
Object Creation Date
1904
Medium & Support
orotone on glass
Dimensions
10 1/2 in x 13 1/2 in (26.7 cm x 34.3 cm);15 3/4 in x 18 7/8 in (40.01 cm x 47.94 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase made possible by the W. Hawkins Ferry Fund
Subject matter
This photograph is a depiction of a group of Navajo on horses crossing the Canyon de Chelly, located in Northeastern Arizona. The Navajo live in this region, and are one of the largest groups in the Southwest. Curtis recorded in his ethnographic account that this canyon is of the "divine ones," a sacred canyon from which the gods emerge and voices echo from those who have passed.
Physical Description
A team of seven people on horses and a dog cross the desert. They appear small compared to the vast rocky landforms behind them.
Primary Object Classification
Photograph
Collection Area
Photography
Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
1999/1.96
Title
Canyon de Chelly
Artist(s)
Edward S. Curtis
Artist Nationality
American (North American)
Object Creation Date
1904
Medium & Support
orotone on glass
Dimensions
10 1/2 in x 13 1/2 in (26.7 cm x 34.3 cm);15 3/4 in x 18 7/8 in (40.01 cm x 47.94 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase made possible by the W. Hawkins Ferry Fund
Subject matter
This photograph is a depiction of a group of Navajo on horses crossing the Canyon de Chelly, located in Northeastern Arizona. The Navajo live in this region, and are one of the largest groups in the Southwest. Curtis recorded in his ethnographic account that this canyon is of the "divine ones," a sacred canyon from which the gods emerge and voices echo from those who have passed.
Physical Description
A team of seven people on horses and a dog cross the desert. They appear small compared to the vast rocky landforms behind them.
Primary Object Classification
Photograph
Collection Area
Photography
Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Edward S. Curtis
Canyon de Chelly
orotone on glass
10 1/2 in x 13 1/2 in (26.7 cm x 34.3 cm);15 3/4 in x 18 7/8 in (40.01 cm x 47.94 cm)
Museum purchase made possible by the W. Hawkins Ferry Fund
Canyon de Chelly
orotone on glass
10 1/2 in x 13 1/2 in (26.7 cm x 34.3 cm);15 3/4 in x 18 7/8 in (40.01 cm x 47.94 cm)
Museum purchase made possible by the W. Hawkins Ferry Fund
Accession Number
1991/2.76
Title
Religion of the Sword
Artist(s)
George Grosz
Artist Nationality
German (culture or style)
Object Creation Date
1924-1927
Medium & Support
ink on paper
Dimensions
25 5/16 in x 19 13/16 in (64.29 cm x 50.32 cm);30 in x 24 3/4 in (76.2 cm x 62.87 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Helmut Stern
Label copy
Religion of the Sword satirizes the aggressive, militant nationalism that reentered German politics in the guise of military and paramilitary fascist groups in the post-war years. The paramilitary groups romanticized the war experience, arguing that it made new, more powerful men and provided a model of camaraderie and sacrifice for all of society. Military leaders promulgated what became known as the “stab in the back” legend, which claimed that the German military had not lost the war but had been betrayed by socialist revolutionaries, who made peace without giving the military the chance to win. Thinly veiled within such claims was the suggestion that Germany needed a government that would give the military that chance.
In this drawing, Grosz criticizes how such groups made political use of the legacy of the war. With mindless reverence, the transfixed crowd stares as the laughable military figure holds up a sword as if it were an object of worship. Donkey ears on many of the sword’s faithful followers satirize a foolish public ready again to welcome war.
Text written by David Choberka, Research Assistant for the UMMA exhibition Graphic Visions: German Expressionist Prints and Drawings, January 25–April 6, 2003, West Gallery
Primary Object Classification
Drawing
Collection Area
Western
Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
1991/2.76
Title
Religion of the Sword
Artist(s)
George Grosz
Artist Nationality
German (culture or style)
Object Creation Date
1924-1927
Medium & Support
ink on paper
Dimensions
25 5/16 in x 19 13/16 in (64.29 cm x 50.32 cm);30 in x 24 3/4 in (76.2 cm x 62.87 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Helmut Stern
Label copy
Religion of the Sword satirizes the aggressive, militant nationalism that reentered German politics in the guise of military and paramilitary fascist groups in the post-war years. The paramilitary groups romanticized the war experience, arguing that it made new, more powerful men and provided a model of camaraderie and sacrifice for all of society. Military leaders promulgated what became known as the “stab in the back” legend, which claimed that the German military had not lost the war but had been betrayed by socialist revolutionaries, who made peace without giving the military the chance to win. Thinly veiled within such claims was the suggestion that Germany needed a government that would give the military that chance.
In this drawing, Grosz criticizes how such groups made political use of the legacy of the war. With mindless reverence, the transfixed crowd stares as the laughable military figure holds up a sword as if it were an object of worship. Donkey ears on many of the sword’s faithful followers satirize a foolish public ready again to welcome war.
Text written by David Choberka, Research Assistant for the UMMA exhibition Graphic Visions: German Expressionist Prints and Drawings, January 25–April 6, 2003, West Gallery
Primary Object Classification
Drawing
Collection Area
Western
Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
George Grosz
Religion of the Sword
ink on paper
25 5/16 in x 19 13/16 in (64.29 cm x 50.32 cm);30 in x 24 3/4 in (76.2 cm x 62.87 cm)
Gift of Helmut Stern
Religion of the Sword
ink on paper
25 5/16 in x 19 13/16 in (64.29 cm x 50.32 cm);30 in x 24 3/4 in (76.2 cm x 62.87 cm)
Gift of Helmut Stern
Accession Number
1997/1.309
Title
Ceremonial sword (afena)
Artist(s)
Asante
Artist Nationality
Asante
Object Creation Date
20th century
Medium & Support
iron, wood and gold leaf
Dimensions
2 15/16 in x 30 1/16 in x 3 9/16 in (7.46 cm x 76.36 cm x 9.05 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Dr. James and Vivian Curtis
Subject matter
Swords, called afena by the Asante, evolved from use as formidable weapons to ceremonial objects by the 18th and 19th century. Elaborate decoration and gold-leaf on afena were used to show the difference in standing among men at the ruler—the Asantehene—of the Asante's court. The origin of their shape may be islamic weapons from sahara trade. Afena were also used as communication tools, as officials sent to deliver messages or conduct negotiations were escorted by sword-bearers.
References Cited:
MacLeod, Malcolm D. 1981. The Asante. London: British Museum Publications Ltd.
Physical Description
This sword has an iron blade that is narrow toward the handle and gradually widens at the top, ending in a slight curve. Along the edge of the blade are small, half-circular knobs and near the top of the blade there are geometric cut-outs. The handle is formed by two spheres connected by a bar. At the bottom of the handle is a conical projection. The handle is covered in gold-leaf.
Primary Object Classification
Metalwork
Primary Object Type
sword
Collection Area
African
Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
1997/1.309
Title
Ceremonial sword (afena)
Artist(s)
Asante
Artist Nationality
Asante
Object Creation Date
20th century
Medium & Support
iron, wood and gold leaf
Dimensions
2 15/16 in x 30 1/16 in x 3 9/16 in (7.46 cm x 76.36 cm x 9.05 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Dr. James and Vivian Curtis
Subject matter
Swords, called afena by the Asante, evolved from use as formidable weapons to ceremonial objects by the 18th and 19th century. Elaborate decoration and gold-leaf on afena were used to show the difference in standing among men at the ruler—the Asantehene—of the Asante's court. The origin of their shape may be islamic weapons from sahara trade. Afena were also used as communication tools, as officials sent to deliver messages or conduct negotiations were escorted by sword-bearers.
References Cited:
MacLeod, Malcolm D. 1981. The Asante. London: British Museum Publications Ltd.
Physical Description
This sword has an iron blade that is narrow toward the handle and gradually widens at the top, ending in a slight curve. Along the edge of the blade are small, half-circular knobs and near the top of the blade there are geometric cut-outs. The handle is formed by two spheres connected by a bar. At the bottom of the handle is a conical projection. The handle is covered in gold-leaf.
Primary Object Classification
Metalwork
Primary Object Type
sword
Collection Area
African
Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Asante
Ceremonial sword (afena)
iron, wood and gold leaf
2 15/16 in x 30 1/16 in x 3 9/16 in (7.46 cm x 76.36 cm x 9.05 cm)
Gift of Dr. James and Vivian Curtis
Ceremonial sword (afena)
iron, wood and gold leaf
2 15/16 in x 30 1/16 in x 3 9/16 in (7.46 cm x 76.36 cm x 9.05 cm)
Gift of Dr. James and Vivian Curtis
Accession Number
2001/2.81
Title
UtopianCannibal.org
Artist(s)
Enrique Chagoya
Artist Nationality
American (North American)
Object Creation Date
2000
Medium & Support
color lithograph, woodcut, chine collé, and collage
Dimensions
7 1/2 in. x 92 in. ( 19 cm x 233.7 cm )
Credit Line
Museum Purchase made possible by the Jean Paul Slusser Memorial Fund
Label copy
March 28, 2009
Born in Mexico City, Chagoya emmigrated to the United States in 1977 and belongs to the generation of Chicano artists who emerged in Southern California’s burgeoning art scene of that era. A master printmaker, Chagoya likes to exploit the medium’s historical connections to mass-produced political propaganda as well as its ability to broadly spread his own messages and stories. Through a process of what he terms “reverse anthropology,” Chagoya cannibalizes material from a wide range of art historical, political, and pop culture sources and positions them alongside traditional and religious images from his native Mexico. The result is a highly personal kaleidoscope of imagery that allows Chagoya to recraft histories. “My codex books,” he explains, “are based on the idea that history is told by those who win wars. Previous historical accounts are erased, destroyed, or buried in oblivion. A new official story is invented in order to justify the new reality of events…I decided to invent my own account of many possible stories—from Cortez to the border patrol—in my own visual language.”
Primary Object Classification
Mixed Media
Primary Object Type
collage
Additional Object Classification(s)
Print
Collection Area
Modern and Contemporary
Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
2001/2.81
Title
UtopianCannibal.org
Artist(s)
Enrique Chagoya
Artist Nationality
American (North American)
Object Creation Date
2000
Medium & Support
color lithograph, woodcut, chine collé, and collage
Dimensions
7 1/2 in. x 92 in. ( 19 cm x 233.7 cm )
Credit Line
Museum Purchase made possible by the Jean Paul Slusser Memorial Fund
Label copy
March 28, 2009
Born in Mexico City, Chagoya emmigrated to the United States in 1977 and belongs to the generation of Chicano artists who emerged in Southern California’s burgeoning art scene of that era. A master printmaker, Chagoya likes to exploit the medium’s historical connections to mass-produced political propaganda as well as its ability to broadly spread his own messages and stories. Through a process of what he terms “reverse anthropology,” Chagoya cannibalizes material from a wide range of art historical, political, and pop culture sources and positions them alongside traditional and religious images from his native Mexico. The result is a highly personal kaleidoscope of imagery that allows Chagoya to recraft histories. “My codex books,” he explains, “are based on the idea that history is told by those who win wars. Previous historical accounts are erased, destroyed, or buried in oblivion. A new official story is invented in order to justify the new reality of events…I decided to invent my own account of many possible stories—from Cortez to the border patrol—in my own visual language.”
Primary Object Classification
Mixed Media
Primary Object Type
collage
Additional Object Classification(s)
Collection Area
Modern and Contemporary
Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Enrique Chagoya
UtopianCannibal.org
color lithograph, woodcut, chine collé, and collage
7 1/2 in. x 92 in. ( 19 cm x 233.7 cm )
Museum Purchase made possible by the Jean Paul Slusser Memorial Fund
UtopianCannibal.org
color lithograph, woodcut, chine collé, and collage
7 1/2 in. x 92 in. ( 19 cm x 233.7 cm )
Museum Purchase made possible by the Jean Paul Slusser Memorial Fund
Accession Number
1954/1.69
Title
Kagoshima Senki [Records of the Battle of Kagoshima]; right page of triptych
Artist(s)
Toyohara Chikanobu
Artist Nationality
Japanese (culture or style)
Object Creation Date
1877
Medium & Support
color woodblock print on paper, one of triptych
Dimensions
14 3/8 in x 9 5/8 in (36.51 cm x 24.45 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Cornelius C. Vermeule
Primary Object Classification
Print
Primary Object Type
color print
Collection Area
Asian
Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
1954/1.69
Title
Kagoshima Senki [Records of the Battle of Kagoshima]; right page of triptych
Artist(s)
Toyohara Chikanobu
Artist Nationality
Japanese (culture or style)
Object Creation Date
1877
Medium & Support
color woodblock print on paper, one of triptych
Dimensions
14 3/8 in x 9 5/8 in (36.51 cm x 24.45 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Cornelius C. Vermeule
Primary Object Classification
Primary Object Type
color print
Collection Area
Asian
Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Toyohara Chikanobu
Kagoshima Senki [Records of the Battle of Kagoshima]; right page of triptych
color woodblock print on paper, one of triptych
14 3/8 in x 9 5/8 in (36.51 cm x 24.45 cm)
Gift of Cornelius C. Vermeule
Kagoshima Senki [Records of the Battle of Kagoshima]; right page of triptych
color woodblock print on paper, one of triptych
14 3/8 in x 9 5/8 in (36.51 cm x 24.45 cm)
Gift of Cornelius C. Vermeule
Accession Number
1954/1.70
Title
Kagoshima Senki [Records of the Battle of Kagoshima]; middle page of triptych
Artist(s)
Toyohara Chikanobu
Artist Nationality
Japanese (culture or style)
Object Creation Date
1877
Medium & Support
color woodblock print on paper, one of triptych
Dimensions
14 3/8 in x 9 5/8 in (36.51 cm x 24.45 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Cornelius C. Vermeule
Primary Object Classification
Print
Primary Object Type
color print
Collection Area
Asian
Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
1954/1.70
Title
Kagoshima Senki [Records of the Battle of Kagoshima]; middle page of triptych
Artist(s)
Toyohara Chikanobu
Artist Nationality
Japanese (culture or style)
Object Creation Date
1877
Medium & Support
color woodblock print on paper, one of triptych
Dimensions
14 3/8 in x 9 5/8 in (36.51 cm x 24.45 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Cornelius C. Vermeule
Primary Object Classification
Primary Object Type
color print
Collection Area
Asian
Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Toyohara Chikanobu
Kagoshima Senki [Records of the Battle of Kagoshima]; middle page of triptych
color woodblock print on paper, one of triptych
14 3/8 in x 9 5/8 in (36.51 cm x 24.45 cm)
Gift of Cornelius C. Vermeule
Kagoshima Senki [Records of the Battle of Kagoshima]; middle page of triptych
color woodblock print on paper, one of triptych
14 3/8 in x 9 5/8 in (36.51 cm x 24.45 cm)
Gift of Cornelius C. Vermeule