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Explore Global Cultures

Discover North Carolina’s only museum dedicated to the study of global cultures. Explore stories of humanity, from ancient archaeological sites to the celebrations and struggles of today. Learn about people from around the world through their everyday objects, ceremonial artifacts, and visual arts.

Open Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00am to 4:30pm. Admission is free.

Upcoming Events

American Flag

Closed for Juneteenth

June 17-19

Summer Programs in Forsyth County Libraries

June 20 – July 26

Closed for Independence Day

July 1-4

Recent News Stories

The Lam Museum is a 2023 Blue Star MuseumMay 18, 2023
Recent Acquisitions on ExhibitJanuary 31, 2023
Hopi Artist Ramson Lomatewama to Visit the LamOctober 28, 2022

Explore the Collection with the Artifact of the Month

Tang Dynasty Tea GraterJune 1, 2023
Uzbek Camel CoverMay 1, 2023
Zulu Beer PotApril 3, 2023

Find a Craft Activity with Cultures Up Close

Pacific Islands: Paint a Tapa ClothMay 31, 2023
Ghana: Weave a Kente ClothFebruary 27, 2023
Native American Heritage Month: Make & Play the Bean GameNovember 22, 2022

Stay in Touch

Receive updates on exhibits and events from the Lam Museum

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Jun 1

Our June #ArtifactOfTheMonth is looking a little fishy! Read on to learn all about this Tang Dynasty tea grater. You can also see it in person in our exhibit "Take Time: Tea and Mindfulness."

Tea is the most consumed beverage in the world after water. Its origins can be traced back to ancient China. According to popular legend, it was first discovered by the mythical Chinese emperor Shennong who is thought to have lived around 2500 BCE. Shennong used tea as a medicine to counteract poisons and digestive problems. The earliest archaeological evidence for tea dates to the Han Dynasty period, from 206 BCE to 220 CE.

By the beginning of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE), tea had become a popular beverage throughout China. Buddhism helped spread tea drinking because monks could drink tea during long days of meditation when they were not allowed to eat or drink anything else. Around 760 CE, Lu Yu, a Chinese scholar, set down recommendations for tea preparation that became the basis for later cultural traditions. During his time, tea was prepared by roasting tea leaves and then grinding them into a coarse powder, which was then mixed with hot water. Rather than preparing the tea immediately, the power could also be compressed into a brick for storage. The brick would later be ground into powder again using a tea grater like this one.

The incised crosshatching on the back of this Tang Dynasty ceramic fish was used to grind the bricks into powder. In Chinese, the word for fish, yu, sounds the same as the word for abundance, so fish images symbolize wealth and good fortune. This grater is a type of ceramic known as Changsha ware. It was made at the Tongguan kiln site and is part of a collection of more than 500 pieces of Changsha ware donated to the Museum in 2012 by our namesake Timothy S. Y. Lam.

Research assistance was provided by the Take Time: Tea and Mindfulness curator William Liu (’23). Additionally, students in Dr. Gurstelle’s experimental archaeology course recently used a similar piece in the collection to grate tea bricks they made in an effort to recreate Tang Dynasty tea brewing.

#lammuseum #tangdynasty #china #changshaware #tea #teagram

May 31

As we wrap up #AAPIHeritageMonth, we have a new #CulturesUpClose project for you to try - painting tapa cloth! Learn about how this versatile cloth is made and used in the Pacific islands via the link in our bio.
This photo shows a section of a large tapa cloth from Samoa.

#lammuseum #tapacloth #samoa #fiji #tonga

May 26

We will be closed Saturday, May 27 through Monday, May 29 for #MemorialDay. 🇺🇲 We hope you enjoy the holiday weekend!

May 18

We are proud to join museums nationwide this summer in the Blue Star Museums initiative! While we continue to offer free admission to all visitors, we are excited to participate in this program honoring our military personnel and thanking them for their service and sacrifice.

#lammuseum #bluestarmuseums

May 15

Congratulations to the WFU Class of 2023! 🎓 We're especially proud of our two Anthropology majors who curated exhibits this semester, William Liu and Madison Stafford. 🖤🤎

#wfu23 #wfugrad #lammuseum

May 12

We have an awesome new exhibit in our hallway! Curated by anthropology major Madison Stafford ('23), "The Art of Exhibition" provides insight into the process of creating representative illustrations in museums. After graduation, Madison will attend the Maryland College Institute of Art pursuing a master's degree in illustration.

#lammuseum #wakethearts #illustration

May 5

Our next exhibit "Take Time: Tea and Mindfulness," curated by senior Anthropology major William Liu, will open one week from today!

#lammuseum #tea #mindfulness #wakethearts

May 3

If you're missing our friend Mr. Bones greeting you at the front desk, don't worry! He has temporarily taken up residence in our Human Evolution exhibit and you can visit him there!

#lammuseum #humanevolution

May 1

May is the start of summer wedding season. So, for our #ArtifactOfTheMonth we selected this Uzbek camel cover. Keep reading to find out how they are connected!

This colorful saddle rug from the late 19th or early 20th century comes from the Uzbek people. The Uzbek are a Turkic ethnic group who make up the majority of the population of Uzbekistan, but also live in surrounding Central Asian countries. They are traditionally nomadic, but most people now live in permanent communities.

This type of “parade” or ceremonial camel cover was not for everyday use. In fact, it played a special role in Uzbek wedding ceremonies. This piece formed part of the elaborate decorations on the bride’s camel for her wedding ride from her camp to her new home at her husband’s camp. It covered the camel’s back, and there may have been other pieces covering its head, neck, and flanks as well. As the bride rode, a procession of family members, also on decorated camels, followed.

Wedding camel covers were often made by the bride to demonstrate her sewing skills and artistry. They are made of an open patchwork of many different fabrics including cotton, silk, brocade, embroidery, and ikat. There are often feathers attached as well, which you can see in the zoomed in photograph. Although this piece is identified as Uzbek, the Turkmen people also use this style of camel cover to adorn a bride’s camel.

#lammuseum #weddingseason #Uzbek #Uzbekistan #camel #camelcover #wakethearts

Apr 26

Happy #LDOC Deacs! You made it!!

Apr 21

Muslims around the world are celebrating Eid al-Fitr (“festival of the breaking of the fast”) today with feasts and family visits to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan. The common greeting during this festival is the Arabic “Eid Mubarak” which means “Blessed Eid.”

Learn more about Islam with our virtual exhibit “Faith: Five World Religions" available via the Virtual Exhibits link in our bio.

#eidmubarak #eidalfitr

Apr 18

We hope to see you this evening!
Details via the events link in our bio.

Apr 17

Sound up! This week is your last opportunity to see our Balinese Offerings exhibit, which closes on Saturday. Don't miss your chance to play the gangsa and see how you measure up to Academic Director Dr. Gurstelle!

#lammuseum #wakethearts #Bali #gamelan

Apr 14

A new class of Intro to Islamic Traditions in @wfureligions has their artwork on display in the Museum! You can see their stencil art and commentary in our classroom hallway.

#lammuseum #islam #ramadan #stencilart #wakethearts

Apr 11

We are really excited to be hosting this lecture about beer in ancient Mesopotamia next Tuesday! We hope to see you here! Full details can be found via the events link in our bio.

#lammuseum
#wakethearts #beer #beerbrewing #mesopotamia #ancientbeer

Apr 6

The Museum will be closed Friday, April 7 and Saturday, April 8 for #EasterWeekend. We hope to see you next week!

Apr 3

Our April #ArtifactOfTheMonth is a Zulu beer pot, one of a dozen in our collection. This pot was made by a Zulu potter from South Africa. For the Zulu, pottery is a woman’s artform passed down from mother to daughter. Archaeological evidence shows that the ancestors of the Zulu started making pottery around 1000 years ago.

Ceramic vessels have a wide range of uses, but they are especially important for brewing and serving sorghum beer called utshwala. This beer has been made in the Zulu region for at least a millennium and is still important in Zulu life today. This type of pot is known as ukhamba and is used as a communal drinking vessel. There are other styles of pots used for brewing, storage, and transportation of beer. The pots are constructed with terracotta coils wrapped around a flat base, which are smoothed to create very thin walls. They have no lip or foot. The pots are fired twice and rubbed with wax or animal fat to create the burnished black appearance. Ukhamba are embellished with incised patterns or raised designs called amasumpa, meaning "warts,” like this one. The patterns serve as both decoration and as a way to better grip the pot while drinking.

The Zulu believe that utshwala is the food of the ancestors, who enjoy the smell. The black color of the beer pots is also intended to please the ancestors, who are drawn to darkness and quiet. In addition to making the pots, women also brew the beer from a mix of sorghum and maize, creating a nutritious drink with a relatively low alcohol content. Utshwala is an important part of hospitality when entertaining. It is also served at events such as weddings, funerals, and other celebrations and rituals. Traditionally, a drink is offered to the ancestors first, and then a pot like this one is passed around from person to person. This communal drinking emphasizes the interconnectedness of humanity.

#lammuseum #wakethearts #Zulu #beer #utshwala

Mar 29

Our latest exhibit, "Dalit Rights and Dignity: Past, Present and Future," was curated by @wfuanthro students taking ANT 334: People and Cultures of South Asia. It will be on display through December 2. We hope you'll come check it out!

#lammuseum #wakethearts #dalit #nepal

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