The Akan people of Ghana often decorate their textiles, like this cloth, with Adinkra symbols. These symbols have been used for centuries to express different aesthetic themes such as strength, longevity, and remembrance. There are hundreds of documented symbols. They are applied to the dyed […]
La Catrina is a skeletal woman who portrays a maid dressed in her mistress’s fancy clothes for a night out. Illustrator José Guadalupe Posada (1851-1913) created her to remind people that in death we are all equal, and earthly riches cannot be taken to the […]
This Buddhist divination text is from Thailand and is likely at least 100 years old. Written in Old Thai, the text describes the six realms of existence in the Samsara, or cycle of rebirth, and how to achieve a favorable state in the next cycle. […]
Moccasins are the typical footwear for Plains Indians, such as the Lakota Sioux, as well as other Native groups across the United States. The hard moccasin style, like this child’s pair, originated in the Southwest. They have stiff rawhide soles that are sewn to soft […]
This artifact, commonly known as a bullroarer, is part of the Museum’s education collection, used to teach students of all ages. Bullroarers are one of the earliest artifacts that can be classified as a musical instrument, having been used by many different cultures over nearly […]
This bowl is from the West Mexican Shaft Tomb culture, which thrived during the Pre-Classic period (2000 BCE – 250 CE) in an area centered around the present-day Mexican states of Jalisco and Colima on the Pacific coast. Little is known about this ancient culture, […]