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,...
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...
Teton Indians; Teton Indians -- Social life and customs; Indians of North America -- Great Plains; Indians of North America; Indians of North America -- Clothing; Bags; Clothing and dress
Native American bags were often decorated with paint, beadwork, or quillwork with specific tribal designs. These designs sometimes revealed the specific use of the bag, such as a medicine bag or tobacco bag. The craftsperson, usually a woman, made...
Indians of North America; Indians of North America -- Clothing; Clothing and dress; Bags; Indians of North America -- Great Plains; Indians of North America -- Great Plains -- Social life and customs
Native American bags were often decorated with paint, beadwork, or quillwork with specific tribal designs. These designs sometimes revealed the specific use of the bag, such as a medicine bag or tobacco bag. This particular bag may have been...
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...
Isis (Egyptian deity); Egypt -- Social life and customs -- To 332 B.C.; Egypt -- Civilization--To 332 B.C.; Egypt -- Antiquities
Ancient Egyptians believed in an elaborate set of Gods, all interrelated in complex stories and events. These Gods often appeared in human form with characteristics of a specific animal or in half human/half animal form. They also had the power to...
One of the most important Jewish religious celebrations is Passover, or Pesach. Observed during the spring, Passover is an eight day event commemorating the freedom of Jewish peoples from slavery in Egypt. It is an occasion when Jews spend time...
Papua New Guinea; New Guinea -- Social life and customs; Implements, utensils, etc.; Lime
Men in Papua New Guinea use gourd or bamboo containers to hold powdered lime that is chewed with the betel nut or used for specific ceremonies. The container includes a long spatula used to spoon the lime from the container. The spatula, made from...
Indians of North America; Nineteenhundreds (Decade); Hair; Hairstyles; Hair-work, Ornamental; Hairdressing
Native American items were often decorated meticulously with paint, beadwork, or quillwork with specific designs. This particular hair ornament was probably made around the early 1900s, and used primarily for decorative purposes. Originally, hair...
Yoruba (African people); Yoruba (African people) -- Social life and customs; Chairs
In ancient and current Yoruba culture, people of importance are symbolically and physicallly separated from the rest of society. At specific times, the feet of alaase (rulers, priests and initiates) must not be in physical contact with the earth....
Puppets; Vietnam; Vietnam -- Social life and customs; Puppets -- Vietnam
Due to its climate, Vietnam is a very humid and wet country. For hundreds of years, Vietnamese people have raised crops of rice in fields of water, fished and tended animals to make a living. Water is very much a part of their world and is often...
Hats; Headgear; Congo (Democratic Republic); Congo (Democratic Republic) -- Social life and customs; Lega (African people); Lega (African people) -- Social life and customs; Lega (African people) -- Clothing; Clothing and dress
In African societies, hats are often worn to reveal a person’s place in society or membership in a specific social organization. This hat was worn by a member of a special society called Bwami. Men and women of the Lega peoples in the Democratic...
Calabashes, or gourds, are the fruits of several varieties of vines. Some are planted, while others grow wild. The many different sizes and distinct shapes of calabash lend themselves to specific use. Many African cultures carve and decorate gourds...
Anubis (Egyptian deity); Egypt -- Social life and customs -- To 332 B.C.; Egypt -- Civilization -- To 332 B.C.; Egypt -- Antiquities
Ancient Egyptians believed in an elaborate set of Gods, all interrelated in complex stories and events. These Gods often appeared in human form with characteristics of a specific animal or in half human/half animal form. They also had the power to...
Osiris (Egyptian deity); Egypt -- Social life and customs -- To 332 B.C.; Egypt -- Civilization --To 332 B.C.; Egypt -- Antiquities
Ancient Egyptians believed in an elaborate set of Gods, all interrelated in complex stories and events. These Gods often appeared in human form with characteristics of a specific animal or in half human/half animal form. They also had the power to...
Look at this colorful jaguar decorated with tiny beads. Can you imagine how long it took to make? The Huichol are a group of people that live in the Sierra Madre Occidental mountain region of Mexico and have a unique tradition of adorning objects...
Musical Instruments; Organ (Musical instrument); Reed organs; 1900s; Indiana
Sing along at home or church, but no piano nearby? This hand-cranked reed organ allowed families to play many popular tunes with one hand. Sounding similar to a music box, this organ traveled around Indiana with a traveling preacher about 1900. The...
Greece -- Civilization -- To 146 B.C.; Mythology, Greek; Pottery; Art -- Greece
In ancient Greece pottery making was a highly skilled art form. Each piece was carefully and individually hand-crafted and painted. The style of the vase would determine its specific use. Amphoras were used to carry and store wine or oil and...
Bowls (Tableware); Mexico; Mexico -- Religious life and customs; Folklore -- Mexico; Huichol Indians; Huichol Indians -- Religion; Huichol mythology
The Huichol are a group of people that live in the Sierra Madre Mountains of North Central Mexico. For the Huichol, art is a way to communicate with the gods. The Huichol adorn many objects with brightly colored beads arranged in symbolic designs....
