This piece exemplifies the Haitian art form of cut iron (koupe fè in Haitian creole). Haitian metal artists traditionally use discarded oil drums as their base material. To transform them into art pieces, they first cut the lids open and make a long slit down the […]
The Longuda people live in northeastern Nigeria, along the eastern banks of the Benue River. Along with their neighbors, the Cham and Mwana people, the Longuda use anthropomorphic pots like this one in traditional healing practices, particularly in the treatment of spiritual disturbances that overlap […]
For almost 3,000 years, the Cherokee people have made pottery in Western North Carolina. The oldest Cherokee pots were large, hand-built, thin-walled, waterproof vessels that were stamped with wooden paddles to create rectilinear and curvilinear designs. The Cherokee used these pots for a variety of […]
This Kalinago basket was collected by Dr. E. Pendleton Banks, the Lam Museum’s founder, during his PhD dissertation research in Dominica in the early 1950s. Dominica, not to be confused with the Dominican Republic, is a small island country in the Windward Islands of the […]
Thangkas are a traditional form of painting associated with Vajrayana Buddhism that is practiced throughout the Himalayan region. In addition to their visual aesthetics, they support meditation, teaching, and ritual practice. Their structures guide attention, regulate perception, and support practices that unfold over time. Historically, […]
The Roman Republic first adopted coinage to trade and pay mercenaries around the time of the First Punic War (264-241 BCE). During the Second Punic War (218-201 BCE), Rome adopted a system that would endure for centuries, based on the silver denarius and the bronze […]