The Solomon Islands are located east of New Guinea and consists of 6 larger islands and more than 900 smaller islands. These shell plaques, known as barava, are from Choiseul Island in the western Solomon Islands. Barava plaques are a national icon in the Solomon […]
The Bamana people are the largest ethnic group in the country of Mali with a population of about 2 million people. They are part of the Mande culture, and they have lived in the savannah in the west-central part of the country for hundreds of […]
The Hopi live on more than 1.5 million acres of reservation land in northeastern Arizona. They are known for many art forms, including the carving of kachina dolls or figures. These carvings are the physical representations of Hopi spirits. There are upwards of 500 different […]
This ceramic roof ornament in the form of a church is from the small town of Quinua in central Peru. Quinua is known for its pottery, with ceramics providing the largest source of income for approximately one quarter of the population today. At the time […]
This bone dagger is from Kuttim Village in the East Sepik Province of Papua New Guinea. At just under 11.5” long, it is on the small side, with most bone daggers ranging from 13” to 16” long. For many groups in Papua New Guinea, bone […]
These playing cards, called hanafuda, are from Japan. The Portuguese first introduced playing cards to Japan in the mid-16th century. However, European cards were banned along with many other foreign goods in 1633, leading to the development of unique Japanese cards. The cards went through […]