Spirit jugs were used by African Americans to honor members of the family after they passed. The jug was plastered and then crusted with items belonging to the deceased person or persons. This jug (left) was created in the 1920s in South Georgia and is on display at the Tubman Museum in Macon. Once decorated, spirit jugs were used at gravesites or kept in the house to remember loved ones. It's believed the custom of spirit jugs is rooted in West African charm traditions.The Tubman Museum in Macon is the Southeast's largest museum dedicated to the art, history and culture of African Americans. It has more than 7000 items, many on display, including items from the Jim Crow area, Macon's African American leaders, a quilt display and an exhibit on Harriett Tubman, for whom the museum is named.
Other exhibits include "King of Soul: Otis Redding in Photographs," "Untold Stories: Macon's African American History," "The World of Mr. Imagination," "From Africa to America," "From the Minds of African Americans" and "Black Artists of Georgia."One of my favorite pieces in the of Georgia African American artist exhibit was this mixed media artwork, below, created by Amalia Amaki, titled "I'd Rather Two-Step Than Waltz." Her work often starts with stereotypical images of African Americans but Amaki uses "buttons and other found objects to transform these images into objects of power," according to the artist's note. This piece includes buttons, postcards, photographs and images of flowers.
The Tubman Museum is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is $10 adults, $6 children ages 3-17 and $8 for AAA and AARP members, seniors, military personnel and educators.
Below are more photographs from the Tubman Museum.
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| I'd Rather Two-Step Than Waltz |
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| Little Richard's piano |
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| Harriett Tubman |
Weird, Wacky and Wild South is written by travel writer Chere Dastugue Coen.
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