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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

Jessica MacLellan

Ritual and the Origins of Maya Society

October 10, 6pm

Day of the Dead Open House

October 29, 11am-4pm

Poetry Reading: Ramson Lomatewama and Lisa Samuels

November 9, 5pm

Recent News Stories

Celebrating Day of the DeadSeptember 13, 2022
Blockchain Project Featured in Wake Forest MagazineJuly 13, 2022
Recent Donations Enhance Latin American CollectionsJune 1, 2022

Explore the Collection with the Artifact of the Month

Balinese Shadow PuppetSeptember 1, 2022
Kalina Basket SifterAugust 1, 2022
Makonde Body MaskJuly 5, 2022

Find a Craft Activity with Cultures Up Close

Summer Fun: Make a Spinning TopJune 24, 2022
Papua New Guinea: Make a Shell NecklaceMay 13, 2022
Yoruba: Create a Royal CrownFebruary 25, 2022

Stay in Touch

Receive updates on exhibits and events from the Lam Museum

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Sep 1

Happy September! Our #ArtifactoftheMonth highlights one of the shadow puppets on display in our new "Balinese Offerings" exhibit.

Shadow puppet plays are popular throughout #Indonesia. In #Bali, leather puppets like this one, called wayang kulit, are used for both entertainment and sacred ritual. During nighttime performances, the puppets’ shadows are cast against a white cloth stretched on bamboo and lit by an oil lamp above the puppeteer’s head. Puppeteers, known as dalangs, prefer a coconut-oil lamp over an electric bulb because the flickering flame enhances the motions of the puppets. For the dalang, who sometimes serves as a priest, each performance is a mix of artistic skill and religious knowledge. A single dalang moves the puppets, provides the voices, and even provides sound effects with a small hammer held by their foot. They also cue the musicians and improvise jokes with the audience—all while portraying the plays’ philosophical meaning.

This #puppet represents Dasamuka, the king of demons and the main antagonist in the #Ramayana, an ancient Hindu epic frequently reenacted through wayang performances. The Ramayana tells the story of tells the story of Rama, an ancient king, and his wife, Sita. The story follows Rama as he saves Sita from being kidnapped by Dasamuka with the help of Hanuman the monkey king. There are many subplots and diversions in its nearly 24,000 verses, but the Ramayana and other shadow puppet performances serve as more than just amusing tales – they are lessons about Hindu practices. The hero characters are portrayed as models for correct behavior. Although Indonesia is a Muslim majority country, on the island of Bali, nearly 90 percent of the population identify as #Hindu.

#lammuseum #wakethearts

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Aug 30

Sound up!!!🎚Our newest exhibit, "Balinese Offerings," is now open!

#lammuseum #wakethearts #Bali #gong

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Aug 26

Want to know how this bowl connects to the Spanish Conquest of Mexico? Check out our new virtual exhibit, "Experiences of Colonialism in Latin America," one of three new online exhibits! "The Private Lives of Pots" and "Animal Origin: Tokens and Tools from Faunal Remains," are also now available via the Virtual Exhibits 🔗 in our bio.

#lammuseum #virtualexhibit #wakethearts #colonialism #Mexico

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Aug 23

Sorry we haven't been on here much, we've been busy building this 😁 "Life after Death: The Day of the Dead in Mexico" is now open!

#lammuseum #wakethearts #DiaDeMuertos #DiaDeLosMuertos #DayoftheDead

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Aug 9

It's starting... #DiaDeLosMuertos
"Life after Death: The Day of the Dead in Mexico" opens August 30!

#lammuseum #DiaDeMuertos #DayoftheDead

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Aug 5

Visit us tomorrow at @bethabarapark to see Native American artifacts from the Yadkin River Valley, crack nuts with a nutting stone, and play Native American games. We hope to see you there!

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Aug 3

We had a great time today with our final @imprintscares group of the summer! (Also, this is our new favorite way to walk through the exhibits 😁)

#lammuseum #MuseumEducation

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Aug 1

Somehow, it's already August! Our new #ArtifactOfTheMonth is this Kalina basket sifter from from Pikin Saron, an indigenous #Kalina village in the north-central part of #Suriname. The Kalina are also known as #Carib or mainland Carib, but they call themselves Kalina. They live in several countries along the northern coast of South America, with a population of about 3,000 in Suriname.

Square baskets like this one, loosely woven of palm fibers with a wooden frame, are important domestic utensils used in processing cassava flour. Cassava (also known as manioc) is a starchy root vegetable and staple food source native to South America. It has spread widely and is now an important crop in tropical regions around the world.

To make cassava bread, the root is first grated, and the pulp is pressed to remove the juice. The pulp is then dried and passed through a basket sifter like this one to remove lumps and make the flour of equal fineness. The flour is then used to create a flat bread similar to a tortilla that is cooked on a large griddle.

Baskets like this one can also be used as a sieve in making kasiri, a cassava beer. Grated cassava is mixed with water and pressed into the basket to extract the liquid, which is then fermented. For the Kalina, kasiri is an important part of celebrations and is often given to visitors as a sign of hospitality.

#lammuseum #wakethearts #basket

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Jul 21

Only a few days left to see "Experiences of Colonialism in Latin America." It closes on Saturday!

#lammuseum #LatinAmerica #Masks #wakethearts

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Jul 15

We have a new object on display in our Conservation Spotlight! This Kuba hat was recently conserved to stabilize it, allowing it to be exhibited without risk of damage. Many thanks to Erdmann Art Conservation for their good work and to the donors that funded the project!

#lammuseum #conservation #Kuba #hat

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Jul 13

We're so excited to be featured in the summer issue of @wakeforestmagazine! Read the article via the News 🔗 in our bio.

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Jul 8

One of our featured exhibits this summer is "Guī Shù Gǎn: Between Belonging and Isolation in the WFU Chinese Community." This student-curated project examines how Chinese international students at WFU experience connection, belonging, and isolation, and how their experiences are shaped by daily life on campus, cultural exchanges, and the global pandemic. We hope you'll come check out this unique exhibit!

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Jul 5

Our July #ArtifactOfTheMonth is a body mask from the #Makonde people. The Makonde live in southeast Tanzania, northern Mozambique, and Kenya. This mask, known as a njorowe, is from #Tanzania. Masks like this one are used in Makonde initiation rituals. During their initiation, boys are isolated for a period of several months during which they are circumcised and taught rules of adult behavior, expectations of married life, traditional songs and dances, and other practical skills. When the young men return to the village, celebrations including masked dance performances are held. A male dancer wears this type of body mask along with a feminine mask on his face, representing a young, pregnant woman. Together with a male masked figure, the dancers pantomime sexual intercourse and demonstrate the burdens of pregnancy and agony of childbirth. The ritual prepares young men and women for their roles as future husbands and wives.

The belly of this mask features incised designs. On a person, these designs are created by incisions in the skin that are rubbed with vegetable carbon and then castor oil to create a dark blue color. The result is somewhere between scarification and a tattoo. The Makonde believe that tattoos near the navel protect against evil spirits. Historically, many Makonde people had facial tattoos, but they are rare today.

#lammuseum #wakethearts #pregnancy #initiation

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Jul 1

We will be closed Saturday through Monday for #4thofJuly weekend. Have a happy and safe holiday! 🎆

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Jun 28

We’re very excited to have Wake Forest rising junior Ella Virkler working at the Museum this summer on a project to monitor environmental conditions in our textile collections and determine the best storage conditions. Here she is building the sensors that will monitor temperature, humidity, light exposure, and toxic gas. Her research is funded by the WFU Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities Center (URECA).

#lammuseum #wakethearts #studentresearch #conservation

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Jun 24

Did you know that a spinning top toy was found in King Tut's tomb? Learn all about tops in our latest #CulturesUpClose post and make a few of your own! Find the link in our bio.

#lammuseum #wakethearts #spinningtop #spinningtops

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Jun 22

We're very excited to have recently accepted two large donations of artifacts that will significantly enhance our Latin American permanent collection and add to our education collection! 😀 Read all about it via the news link in out bio.

#lammuseum #wakethearts #latinamerica #oaxaca

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Jun 14

Summer scavenger hunts are ready to go! We have 2 hunts available - one for elementary ages and one for middle and high schoolers. Walk-in visitors can show your completed hunt at the front desk for a small prize 😃

#lammuseum #wakethearts #summerfun #scavengerhunt #anthropology

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