Dedicated in 1888, the Slater Museum has continued to enrich its fine collection through purchases, gifts,
and bequests. The museum houses over 150 plaster casts of Classical and Renaissance sculpture, as
well as Egyptian, Ancient, African, Oceanic, American, European and Asian Art and artifacts, and
Pre-Columbian and Native American objects. The Museum also holds a fine and decorative collection of
art and artifacts that are distinctive to Norwich and Southeastern Connecticut history.
Regional American Paintings CollectionThe Slater Museum's collection includes dozens of paintings that reflect the superior artistic skill
and craftsmanship of regional artists. The artwork captures early life in Norwich and Southeastern
Connecticut through the depiction of people, landscape, and the built environment. Currently on
view are several landscapes by John Denison Crocker (Norwich 1822-1907), as well as portraits of
early leading Norwich citizens by Erastus Salisbury Field, William Matthew Prior, Orlando Hand Bears,
and Alexander H. Emmons.
The Plaster Cast Collection
On March 23, 1887, Edward Robinson, then in charge of
the classical collection at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts,
accepted the appointment to select, purchase, and install
in the Slater Museum a collection of casts from renowned
works of antiquity. The selection includes Egyptian and
Assyrian pieces, as well as many outstanding examples
of Greek, Roman, and Renaissance art. There are also
Egyptian, Babylonian, Persian, and Greek artifacts on
view.
Click here to view more images of the Cast Collection.
The Vanderpoel Collection of Oriental Art
The Vanderpoel Collection of Oriental Art, which was presented to the Slater Museum in 1935, has been
augmented over the years by private donations and Friends of the Museum acquisitions. The original
collection consists of artifacts and textiles that are primarily from the Tokugawa period of Japanese art
(17th - 19th centuries A.D.) and includes temple carvings, woodblock prints, stencils, metal work,
pottery, and sculpture. Examples of Chinese and Korean artworks from various periods are also
represented. The collection has been enriched over the years with the addition of carved ivories,
Samurai armor, and fine examples of Chinese export ware and Buddhist sculpture.
Pre-Columbian and Native American Art
Among the objects on display in the Museum's collection are example of six Native American cultures,
namely the Chiriqui of Panama, prehistoric; the Chimu of Peru, prehistoric; the Mound Builders of the
Mississippi and Ohio Valleys, prehistoric; the Pueblos, who have inhabited the southwestern part of the
United States since about 1200 A.D.; and the Northwest tribes, including the Inuits. Navaho rugs, woven
baskets, and utilitarian artifacts are among the items on exhibit. Additionally, there are displays of
arrowheads from the local region, as well as other stone implements from Native Americans of
Connecticut.
English and European Paintings and Decorative Arts
The Slater Museum's collections of English and European paintings and decorative arts from the 15th
through the 20th centuries have been primarily acquired though donations or bequests. The Dr. Lewis
and Grace Sears Gallery contains paintings and decorative arts from primarily England, France, Italy,
and Spain. The spacious galley also features examples of English and European furniture.
African and Oceanic Art
The Museum's small but significant collection of African art was greatly
enhanced in 1998 with the donation of an extensive collection
of African and Oceanic art. The donor was Paul Zimmerman,
Professor Emeritus of the Hartford Art School. The collection includes
African masks, sculpture, and utilitarian items from the Ivory Coast,
Mali, Ghana, Zaire, and Liberia and Oceanic artifacts, including spirit
boards, carvings, and sculpture.
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