Native American beadwork varies greatly among different cultures, with individual nations often adopting specific designs, color schemes, beading techniques, and added elements. The Bone Bead Key Ring in this display, for example, is composed of glass seed beads, aluminum tinklers, short cylindrical plastic beads, and long bone beads, all strung on hemp cord; this particular … [Read more...] about Native American Beadwork: Researched by Jasmine Currey
The story behind the figures in this display unfortunately starts with the looting of ancient tombs, as looters have ravaged the ancient graves of the Chancay culture (1000-1460 CE). In their haste, the looters often ripped apart the delicate textiles that they were attempting to steal. In the 20th century, Peruvian Mestizo (mixed Spanish and indigenous ancestry) artisans … [Read more...] about Textiles of the Chancay Culture: Researched by Lindsay Werner
These seven maskettes are individually hand-made works in ebony wood, but they represent a type of carving that is mass-produced in Senegal for the tourist-trade. Such sets of seven maskettes are marketed to the tourist community as wall hangings that represent the seven days of the week. The material, color, and size of the masks unites them as a group, and the masks that … [Read more...] about Seven Ebony Maskettes: Researched by Codee Ratliff
Batik textiles originated in Indonesia, but they were introduced into Africa sometime before the 20th century, where they were embraced and have become very popular. The batik process involves painting wax designs onto a fabric and then submerging it into a dye bath. The process may be repeated for additional colors and to create complex layers of designs. Cracks in the wax … [Read more...] about Batik Shirt with Orange Yin-Yang Symbols: Researched by Hannah Harmon
Kuba cut-pile cloth, also known Kasai velvet or Shoowa velvet, is an elaborate, labor-intensive cloth that is highly valued among the Kuba as well as being a popular collector’s item outside of Africa. After men weave the basic background cloth of softened raffia fibers, the cloths are delivered to the female master artisans. These women embroider outlines onto the cloth, … [Read more...] about Tan Cut-Pile Cloth with Hexagon Design: Researched by Hannah Harmon