The Maasai people are a nomadic culture in northern Tanzania and southern Kenya; they are livestock herders who rely heavily on cattle both for food and for products such as leather. Basketry is a tradition practiced throughout Africa, and it is likewise practiced by the Maasai. Baskets are used for many purposes, including winnowing and measuring grain and … [Read more...] about Maasai Leather Basket: Researched and Conserved by Sarah Teel
This Algerian pouring vessel was created and decorated in the tradition of the Kabyle-Berber culture, and it was intended for use in the traditional storage and serving of drinking liquids. Like other Algerian pottery, the vessel was hand-thrown in red terracotta clay and then decorated with colored mineral slips using brushes of goat hair set into wet clay … [Read more...] about Algerian Pouring Vessel: Researched, Conserved, and Reconstructed by Sabrina Osment
A rosette is a decorative artform that symbolizes wealth and status. Rosettes were used in as trade items, and Native artisans attach these beaded forms to a wide variety of garments, from headdresses or bonnets to shirts, pants, moccasins, and gloves. Rosettes are also used to adorn traditional personal objects such as turbans, pouches, bags, and quivers, and they may decorate … [Read more...] about Thunderbird Beaded Rosettes: Researched, Conserved, and Restored by Lindsey VanDieren
These two cylindrical, elaborately beaded forms used as keychain fobs are pieces that actually originate from the beaded handles made for Lakota prayer feathers. Prayer feathers are used in smudging ceremonies, which are often done during healing rituals. In this ceremony, a healer or religious specialist burns a smudge stick … [Read more...] about Beaded Keychain Fobs: Researched, Conserved, and Restored by Lindsey VanDieren
Beadwork is a very popular form of decoration among the Native cultures of North America, and particularly in the Great Plains region. The purpose of traditional Native American jewelry, such as these beaded earrings, is primarily adornment. Particularly elaborate pieces might also show wealth and status, and they are worn and displayed for traditional … [Read more...] about Beaded Triangular Earrings with Tassels: Researched, Conserved, and Restored by Lindsey VanDieren