This mid to late 19th century ceramic cup is from the Pima tribe in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona. While the Pima are recognized more for their basketry than their ceramic work, this piece demonstrates the cultural importance of their functional pottery. Click the link to read more.
This candle holder from Mexico is used during the Days of the Dead. The skull imagery is typical of objects associated with the celebration. Click the link to read more.
This hand-painted sign from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire) is an advertisement for a barbershop. Click the link to read more about this object.
A hagoita or battledore is a rectangular board similar to a large ping-pong racket that is used to play a traditional Japanese New Year game called hanetsuki where shuttlecocks are hit back and forth with the paddles. Click the link to read more about this object.
This 21st century painting shows the Catholic icon Our Lady of Guadalupe with a Mexican flag and a red bandana covering her face. The Virgin of Guadalupe is often used as a unifying symbol for Mexicans. In this image, the bandana over her face symbolizes the Zapatista Army of National Liberation, a revolutionary group based in the state of Chiapas, and the painting serves as a piece of political propaganda.
This silk hat in the shape of a tiger is representative of a traditional Q’ing Chinese form of head covering. The hat is designed to protect a male child from evil spirits that may wish to harm him.