Hopi Seed Jar [Object of the Day #40]
By: Alyssa Kaminski
This Seed Jar was crafted by the Hopi people from the region of Arizona. The jar is decorated with iconography of squash blossoms, dragonflies, and ears of corn. In 1932, Mary-Russel Ferrell Colton founded the Hopi Craftsman Exhibition. This project was designed to stimulate the creation of American Indian objects thus broadening the market for […]
Male ba Statue [Object of the Day #39]
By: Alyssa Kaminski
This sandstone statue was made sometime between 100 BCE and 300 CE. He is wearing a fringed robe with several necklaces and armbands. In his hands he carries a staff and a pinecone-shaped object. Over his head is a sundisk and behind him are a pair of large wings. The Egyptian ba was believed to […]
Helmet Mask of Bundu Society [Object of the Day #37]
By: Alyssa Kaminski
Pictured above is a 20th century African helmet mask of Bundu society. The mask is made of wood, tin, and a pigment giving the object it’s black coloring. On top of the figure’s headdress are three sagittal crests who’s edges are covered in tin strips. Tin strips are also found on the sides and across […]
Egyptian Kneeling Statue [Object of the Day #36]
By: Alyssa Kaminski
This Egyptian kneeling statue was created around 1351 BCE. The statue is made of bronze gilded with gold. With his arms missing, this king sits kneeling, wearing a nemes headdress. His broad hips and elongated facial features indicate that he was made in the latter part of the Amarna Period. There are traces of the […]
Mandan War Shirt [Object of the Day #34]
By: Alyssa Kaminski
This early 19th century war shirt was made by the Mandan people of North Dakota. The shirt is made up of a variety of animals including deer, porcupine, horse and human. The bulk of the shirt comes from buckskin that is then decorated with leather fringe, beading, porcupine quills, horse and human hair. While this […]
Lenape Powder Charger [Object of the Day #33]
By: Alyssa Kaminski
This Lenape Powder Charger is carved from an antler. The bottom is formed into a rattlesnake tail while the top depicts Misinghali’kun, the hunting god. The Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania is a community of more than 300 people of Lenape descent who live mainly in southeastern Pennsylvania, primarily around Easton, Philadelphia and the Pocono Mountains. Unlike […]
Maori Pendant from New Zealand [Object of the Day #32]
By: Alyssa Kaminski
This greenstone pendant is characteristic of the Maori, a polynesian tribe who settled New Zealand. The carved figure is human with an oversized head tilted to one side, arms resting on knees, and legs bent inward with his feet touching. Greenstone pendants derive their value from the hours spent carving into this hard stone. They […]
Mancala Board [Object of the Day #29]
By: Alyssa Kaminski
This object is a three-row folding Mancala board made from two galutta boards. Upon each board are 9 circular depressions and one projecting arm. The board’s purpose is a platform upon which Mancala is played, a game popular in African regions such as Ethiopia. Mancala is played by using a number of counters, usually in […]
Standing Buddha Statue [Object of the Day #28]
By: Alyssa Kaminski
This statue depicts the Buddha standing in a classic Mandalay position. The statue dates back to the 19th century and was crafted in Burma. In the Buddha’s left hand he holds up his robe revealing the ornate gilding that covers a glass inlay. In his right hand he holds out a myrobalan seed (Terminalia chebula). The […]