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...
Minangkabau (Indonesian people); Minangkabau (Indonesian people) - social life and customs; Indonesia; Sumatra (Indonesia); Dwellings; Models and modelmaking
The Minangkabau people live in the Padang highlands of West Sumatra. The typical way of constructing buildings in Southeast Asia is to build on stilts. Minangkabau houses called rumah gadang (large house) are unique because of their distinctive...
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...
Nigeria; Nigeria - social life and customs; Yoruba (African people); Yoruba (African people) - social life and customs; Nineteen fifties
The Federal Republic of Nigeria is a country in West Africa. The three largest cultures are the Hausa-Fulani in the north, the Igbo in the southeast, and the Yoruba in the southwest. Egungun translates as masquerade in the Yoruba language. This...
Sierra Leone; Nineteen seventies; Musical instruments; Drums; Temne (African people); Temne (African people) - social life and customs; Mende (African people); Mende (African people) - social life and customs; Percussion instruments
The Republic of Sierra Leone is a country in West Africa. There are 18 ethnic groups living in Sierra Leone, with the Temne and Mende peoples making up the largest of the groups. Drums are important instruments in Africa, used both as a musical...
Masai (African people); Masai (African people) -- Social life and customs; Masai (African people) -- Rites and ceremonies; Kenya; Cows; Milk; Containers; Gourds
The Maasai peoples live mostly in southwestern Kenya. Cattle are very important to the Maasai and considered sacred. Many ceremonies involve the ritual slaughter of cattle, with meat being distributed among the community according to social rank....
Yams; Masks; Papua New Guinea; Papua New Guinea - social lfie and customs; Abelam (peoples); Abelam (peoples) - social lfie and customs
Yams are an important food source for many indigenous tribes of Papua New Guinea. Men cultivate them and take great care and pride in creating the largest yams. The Abelam peoples hold elaborate yam harvest ceremonies and festivals, during which...
Puppets; Bamana (African people); Bamana (African people) - social life and customs; Mali; Nineteen hundreds (Decade)
The Bamana are members of the Mande culture, a large and powerful group of people from the Republic of Mali, located in northwestern Africa. Throughout the Segou Region in Mali, the Sogo bo, or puppet masquerades, are performed by the young men’s...
Shoes, Boots; Footwear; Indigenous peoples -- Russia (Federation); Russia (Federation); Koryak; Koryak -- Social life and customs; Koryak -- Rites and ceremonies; Clothing and dress
The Koryak peoples have a long history as reindeer herders, hunters and fishermen in the northern portion of the Kamchatka Peninsula in eastern Russia. Since 1930, most Koryak have lived in the Koryak Autonomous Area in the northern portion of the...
Bali (Indonesia : Province); Bali (Indonesia : Province)--Social life and customs. Indonesia; Indonesia--Social life and customs; Hair; Hairstyles
Balinese men once wore their hair in the elaborate style seen on this carving. Today, they typically wear their hair cut in a Western fashion, covered with a turban. This traditional hairstyle is still worn by Balinese girls for festive occasions....
Prayer books; Shamans; Thailand; Thailand --Social life and customs; Thailand--Rites and ceremonies
This prayer book was used by a shaman of northern Thailand during wedding and funeral ceremonies. Nearly all traditional villages and nomadic mountain villages in northern Thailand have a headman who performs most of the political and social...
Akan (African people); Akan (African people) -- Social life and customs; Ghana; Ghana -- Social life and customs; Stools; Furniture
Personal stools are very important among the Akan peoples of Ghana. Among the Asante (a sub-group of the Akan), there is a very special bond between a person and his/her stool. An Asante proverb states, "There are no secrets between a man and...
Cameroon; Cameroon -- Social life and customs; Rites and ceremonies -- Cameroon; Bamenda (African people); Bamenda (African people) -- Social life and customs; Whistles; Dance -- Cameroon; Music -- Cameroon; Musical instruments
This whistle was purchased from the Cameroon Handwork Cooperative (a program initiated by the Peace Corps) in Western Cameroon in 1964, where it was made by an artist of the Bamenda peoples. The horn-like design on the mouthpiece probably...
Shamanism; Necklaces; Haida Indians; Haida Indians--Social life and customs; Tlingit Indians; Tlingit Indians--Social life and customs
In the past, shamans healed the sick, helped bring success in hunting, fishing or war and worked for spiritual balance in the community. By traveling to the spirit world, shamans could call upon spirit-helpers to aid them in recovering lost or...
Bali (Indonesia : Province); Bali (Indonesia : Province)--Social life and customs; Indonesia; Indonesia--Social life and customs; Opera
This Indonesian girl is dressed to play a part in a Balinese opera. She wears a tall headdress that, in real life, would be made of gold, set with colored stones and decorated with flowers. The intricately carved design around her shoulders...
Bags; Handbag; Beadwork; Tobacco; Tobacco pipes; Smoking Paraphernalia; Indians of North America; 19th Century; Indians of North America -- Social life and customs; Indians of North America -- Tobacco use; Cheyenne indians; Cheyenne indians --...
Leather bags like this one, called pipe or tobacco bags, were used to carry pipe stems, pipe bowls and tobacco. This bag is decorated with both quillwork and glass beads. Before beads were acquired through trade with Europeans, many Native American...
Cameroon; Bana Guili (African people); Bana Guili (African people) -- Social life and customs; Aprons; Clothing and dress
Cameroon has over 250 ethnic groups within its country. The Bana Guili (Kirdi) culture lives in the Bourrah or Mokoko region in the far northern part of Cameroon. A young woman of the Bana Guili culture who has reached puberty would wear these...
Headgear; Ghana; Ghana--Social life and customs; Togo--Social life and customs; Helmets; 1960s
Helmets like this one, called ipiedza, are worn by hunters and warriors among peoples of northern Ghana and Togo in Western Africa during festivals associated with hunting and war. The cow horns represent the large animal's power and strength. Used...
Incas; Incas--Social life and customs; Implements, utensils, etc.; Hair --Removal; Hair--Social aspects
In the 12th Century, the Inca civilization began its empire near Cuzco, Peru. By 1500 Incan territory extended over 2,000 miles. Metalwork, along with weaving and ceramics, was held in high regard by the Incas. Metalwork consisted of copper and...
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...
