U.S. Ambassador (retired) Allen Davis has given IU’s Mathers Museum of World Cultures a gift of currency…sort of.
An avid collector of African art, Davis’ recent gift is a collection of items considered currency in African cultures. In the past, African currency rarely included coins. Instead, wealth was accumulated in metal objects such as axes, hoes, and abstract forms. Davis has dedicated this unique gift to two scholars who share his interest in African art, in museums, and in IU.
Davis spent 34 years as a U.S. Foreign Service officer, including stints as ambassador to Guinea and Uganda. He saw collecting as an extension of his work as a diplomat. "I looked for items that would be useful for studying Africa in museums and universities in America," he says. "I was intrigued by the serious study of other peoples, and this was my opportunity to participate."
As the son of high school teachers, Davis developed esteem for educators and scholars. Among them was IU Professor Emeritus Roy Sieber, who passed away in 2001. In 1991, Davis had retired and began volunteering at the National Museum of African Art as a docent. Its associate director was Professor Sieber, and the two became friends and colleagues.
"When you are speaking to Africanists who once were former students of Roy Sieber, there is an ‘Oh’ moment," notes Davis of Professor Sieber’s prestige.
To find a home for this currency collection, Davis began with the National Museum. By then, the museum had a new acting deputy director, Dr. Christine Mullen Kreamer. She had been a doctoral student of Sieber’s and became a friend and colleague of Davis.
However, the National Museum could not take the collection, as it would replicate some of its current holdings. Instead, Kreamer suggested the Mathers Museum.
"I’ve long held the Mathers in high regard," says Davis, who has dedicated his collection in honor of his two friends. "And Christine has such a deep attachment for her alma mater and Dr. Sieber."
Today, the collection is being prepared for eventual display and research by Dr. Ellen Sieber, Professor Sieber’s daughter and the Mathers’ curator, and also an IU alumna. Davis has found a new partner in his admiration for Africa and its art. 
