This mask depicts Malintzin, also known as Doña Mariña or La Malinche, a historical figure in the Spanish Conquest of Mexico. Malintzin was an Aztec woman who was captured as a child and enslaved by the Maya, who then sold her to Hernán Cortés. With the help of Géronimo de Aguilar, a Spaniard who had learned the Maya language after being shipwrecked, Malintzin served as a … [Read more...] about Masks and Papier-Mâché Angel: Researched and Conserved by Melia Richardson
Elaborate beadwork first appeared as a Yoruba artform in the late 19th century, when European glass seed beads were imported into Nigeria. Soon afterwards, labor-intensive bead-covered items such as bags, footwear, knife sheaths, sashes, and belts became symbols of wealth, power, and well-being for the Yoruba ruling class. As high-ranking Yoruba bestowed beadwork items on the … [Read more...] about Beaded Belt: Researched and Conserved by Alexis Henson
Marbles are among the world’s oldest toys, with the earliest-known examples made of highly polished stone appearing in Mohenjo-Daro, Pakistan by 2,500 BCE. Marbles of fired and unfired clay also appear in ancient times, and throughout history, clay has been the most common material used to make marbles – earning clay marbles the enduring nickname of “commies.” The two clay … [Read more...] about American Toys: Researched and Conserved by Zane Wigton
These two wooden elephant figures were carved by artisans of the Kamba cultures of Kenya, Africa. Traditionally, Kamba woodworkers created simple, functional objects such as hand-carved large wooden spoons, stools, and stoppers for medicine horns. In the early 20th century, however, a Kamba man named Mutesya waMunge served in the military during World War I; he was stationed in … [Read more...] about Kamba Elephant Sculptures Researched, Conserved, and Reconstructed by Jenna Fallert
This tapestry textile was woven by one of the students of the Wissa Wassef school of Cairo and Harrania, Egypt. This school of handmade textiles was founded in the 1940s and 1950s by the architect Ramses Wissa Wassef, whose aim was to revive and revitalize traditional Egyptian crafts and handiwork by providing local, poor children with training in spinning sheep’s wool and … [Read more...] about Wissa Wassef School Textile with an Islamic Egyptian Village Scene: Researched and Conserved by Hanna Henroid