Ancient Egyptians believed in life after death. They developed a process, called mummification, to preserve the body after death for its use in the afterlife. During embalming, the process used to create a mummy, specific internal organs were...
Mirrors; China; China -- Social life and customs; China -- History -- Ming dynasty, 1368-1644
Over the past 3,000 years, mirrors have become more than just a grooming aid in the Chinese culture. Mirrors, through the years, were also used as tokens of love, political gifts, and burial items for the afterlife. They were usually owned by the...
Cliff-dwellers; Indians of North America -- Southwest, New; Pueblo Indians; Implements, utensils, etc.; Anasazi
The Ancestral Puebloans (Anasazi) lived in the present-day Four Corners region, which includes New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona. They lived in this area from AD1 and AD1300 and are thought to be the ancestors of the modern Pueblo Indians now...
Holidays -- Mexico; Mexico -- Social life and customs; All Souls' Day; Skeletons; Sculpture; Aztecs; Aztecs -- Religion; Aztecs -- Social life and customs
This skeleton, dressed in the clothing and accessories of an Aztec warrior, honors the roots of the Mexican celebration, El Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). This unique celebration grew from the blending of Aztec beliefs about death with...
T-shirts; Clothing and dress; Hip-hop; 1980s; 1990s
The 'hiphop' fashion of the 1980s and 1990s were heavily influenced by the music entertainment industry. Many of these fashions were either designed or promoted by rap artists. Fubu attire was designed by four black designers who wanted to create a...
Indians of North America; Indians of North America -- Northwest Coast of North America; Indians of North America -- Rites and ceremonies; Indian dance -- North America; Indians of North America -- Folklore; Masks; Kwakiutl Indians; Kwakiutl art;...
This mask was created by contemporary Kwagiulth artist Buddy George. Called “Moon with Snakes” mask, it depicts a cosmological theme, as many Northwest Coast legends do. It embodies the moon, a celestial being that was, according to legend,...
Coins; United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783; Indiana -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783; American Revolution Bicentennial, 1776-1976 -- Indiana; Indiana; Clark, George Rogers, 1752-1818; Henry, Patrick, 1736-1799; Gibault, Pierre,...
If you were celebrating your 200th birthday, how would you celebrate? Some Indiana collectors assembled these coins celebrating four pioneering men. During the Revolutionary War, Virginia Governor Patrick Henry authorized George Rogers Clark to...
This is a cast, or model, of the lower jaw of a Triceratops, which lived during the Cretaceous. Triceratops was a four legged plant eater best known for the huge horns that grew above its eyes. Some of the horns could be up to three feet long! This...
Marshall, Thomas R. (Thomas Riley), 1854-1925; Indiana; Souvenirs (Keepsakes); Ribbons
In 1912, Indiana Governor Thomas Riley Marshall accepted the Democratic nomination for Vice President. This ribbon is a souvenir from the reception that announced Marshall as Vice Presidential candidate. A lawyer and popular speaker, Marshall...
The Beatles may be the most influential, fan-worshipped rock n' roll band of the 20th century. The group featured founding members John Lennon and Paul McCartney on guitar, in addition to George Harrison on bass and Ringo Starr on drums. The...
One of the largest animals of Africa, the Hippopotamus can be found in groups of up to fifteen or so resting in lakes or rivers with nothing but their nostrils, eyes, and ears above water. At night they come out and feed on grass, various plants,...
Dolls; toys; Japan; Dolls -- Japan; Japan -- Social life and customs; International relations; Cultural relations
In 1927, children in the United States sent over 12,000 dolls, with voices that said mama," to Japanese school children as a gesture of friendship. Japan responded by sending Miss Shimane and her sisters as a thank you. First, a national...
This tall bird, often mistakenly identified as a crane, is actually a Great Blue Heron. It is blue gray in color, and can grow up to four feet tall. It has very long legs, a long, curving neck, and very long, pointed bill. It can be found in...
Flea circuses possibly originated in England during the 16th century. However, one of the most famous flea performances occurred during the 1830s in London created by a man named L. Bertolotto. The circus featured fleas’ playing music in an...
This armored Dinosaur weighed in at one ton and was between twelve and fifteen feet long. This cast was made from what was probably a juvenile animal. Like the other members of it’s family, Gastonia was a four legged plant eater. It was covered...
This little rodent is active day and night, living in tundra and grassland areas, and splitting up its active periods with periods of rest. They can grow up to six inches in length. It eats grasses, shrubs, and particularly likes mosses. In winter...
For thousands of years people wanted to travel safely at night. In 1417 Sir Henry Barton ordered London households to hang lanterns. Four hundred years later, gas powered street lights were used. This electric streetlight hung from a large curved...
Caiman (Genus); Schneider's smooth-fronted caiman; Crocodiles; South America;
The Dwarf Caiman lives a semi-aquatic life, being found in swamps, ponds and lakes in Central and South America. They eat fish, crustaceans and mollusks. The length of adult males is about four and half feet long, with females being smaller. Adults...
Bees; Bees in art; Masks; Indians of North America -- Northwest Coast of North America; Potlatch; Kwaguilth Indians; Kwaguilth Indians -- Social life and customs
Among tribes of the Northwest Coast, masks are worn during winter ceremonies (called "Potlatch"), a community event that hosts a series of songs, dances and rituals. During these ceremonies, masks are danced in ceremonial houses to...
These Japanese puzzles are called kumiki, meaning “to join wood together”. Because of the common threat of earthquakes in Japan, traditional craftsmen developed ingenious ways of interlocking wood joints rather than using nails to help ensure...
