Islam first came to northern Africa in the 8th century CE by way of conquest by Muslim groups, but the ensuing spread of the Islamic religion through Africa was largely peaceful. Muslim merchants and missionaries traveled through Africa to Spain and established trade routes among these regions, and most African peoples accepted, or at least tolerated, the new religion. When … [Read more...] about Islamic African Art and Artifacts: Researched by Jordan Davis
The musical instruments in this exhibit originated throughout the Americas, including the Great Plains of North America, Mesoamerica, Central America, and the Andean region of South America. While these instruments have become popular in the tourist trade, their origin is in the ancient cultures of these continents. For many indigenous cultures of the Americas, … [Read more...] about Native Musical Instruments of the Americas by Ana Babb
This large vessel was created by Reina Simon L. from the village of San Bartolo Coyotepec, using the traditional grey clay of this region that is gathered from the clay mines near the community. While such pottery has been created and used for water vessels, or ollas, for centuries by the Zapotec people of this region, in the 1950s potter Rosa Real Mateo de Nieto started a new … [Read more...] about Zapotec Mestizo Blackware: Researched by Daniel Hume
Mexican Talavera pottery has a long history that dates back to the early 15th century, soon after the Spanish conquest of Mexico. When the Spanish first conquered the Puebla region, they introduced new pottery techniques from the city of Talavera de la Reina in Spain to this pottery-making area. The Mexican city of Puebla was established in 1531and placed strategically between … [Read more...] about Talavera Pottery: Researched by Shayna MacDonald
The Chupícuaro cultures produced some of the most boldly patterned polychrome ceramics of Mesoamerica. Chupícuaro ceramics include hollow figures, bowls and jars of different shapes, and tripod vessels. The vessels are usually made using a brown or black clay that is painted commonly with geometric polychrome designs, usually in buff, red, and black, but also sometimes with … [Read more...] about Chupícuaro Vessels: Researched by Logan Williams and Caitlin Baker