This elaborate ceremonial sword is from the Kayan people of Borneo. With a population of roughly 27,000, the Kayan are one of approximately 200 indigenous groups that live in the island’s interior and are collectively referred to as Dayak. The Kayan are known for their […]
This type of mask, known as kanaga, is created by the Dogon people of Mali in Western Africa. The masks are used in funerary rituals called dama, which allow the souls of the deceased to leave the village and enter the world of the dead, […]
The Gullah are members of African American communities that developed a unique culture and language in the Atlantic coastal region stretching between Jacksonville, NC and Jacksonville, FL. The history of the Gullah peoples is rooted in the horrors of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Slave traders […]
This small goddess figure was produced in Mathura in north-central India during the period of the Maurya Empire (322 – 185 BCE). At that time, the city was an important economic, religious, and cultural hub. Archaeologically, it is one of the principal sites yielding large […]
This brightly colored ceramic house is from Santa Cruz de las Huertas, just outside of Guadalajara, in the Mexican state of Jalisco. Jalisco is known as one of the largest pottery-producing states in the country. This whimsical style of work in clay, featuring vibrant colors […]
The Guna (Kuna) people live predominantly on the San Blas Islands off the Atlantic coast of Panama with a population of approximately 50,000. The Guna believe that sickness and disease are caused by poni, malevolent spirits that enter a person’s body and capture his or […]