Friday, June 23, 2017
This blog illustrates how long textiles woven by the Kuba people can be re-purposed as tapestries for use in modern interiors....
Friday, March 24, 2017
Tantric lingams, also called Banalinga, can only be found at the bottom of the Narmada River in India. Considered one of the seven holy rivers, the Narmada and the lingams found there have been considered sacred objects for thousands of years. Today they are highly sought after collectibles worldwide but are quickly becoming endangered by a monumental project to dam the Narmada river. Soon they will be lost forever....
Friday, November 04, 2016
What comes to mind when you think of traditional Chinese art? Is it porcelain, calligraphy, scholar's rocks or jade carvings? A category of artwork all too often overlooked is Chinese rugs. Surprisingly, there has been little historical documentation of wool weaving traditions in China. Despite the international trade that flourished for centuries, rugs and carpets were rarely exported. Though frequently lumped into the broader category of 'oriental rugs,' textiles woven in China were created mainly for internal consumption....
Thursday, October 13, 2016
Globalization. This term entailing free trade, cultural integration, vanishing borders and accessible communication throughout the world is surprisingly modern. It was coined in 1983 by Theodore Levitt, a marketing professor at the Harvard Business School....
Friday, October 07, 2016
Ceramic works from Africa can be loosely divided into two categories: terra cotta figurative art and earthenware vessels. In opposition to figurative art, ceramic vessels can be broken down into two sub-categories: utilitarian and ceremonial...
Friday, September 23, 2016
Many African cultures have historically given women great power, especially Queen Mothers. Queen Mothers are defined as women who give birth to a reigning king....
Friday, July 15, 2016
The Yoruba people have historically been known to have a high rate of twin births; the highest in the world. Statistics today show that 44 out of every 1,000 births are twins. Both diet and genetics contribute to this occurrence, though some consider it a gift from God. However, in ancient times twins were seen as bad luck and barbaric...
Friday, July 01, 2016
As far back as ancient Egypt, the endless circle of a ring symbolized eternal love. In Ancient Greece, husbands gifted gold and silver rings to their wives. It was an indication that the wife was trusted with the husband’s valuables. Never mind that the ring was really hers....
Friday, June 24, 2016
Large, canoe-shaped bowls in the Tami Islands of Papua New Guinea were traded extensively and gifted as valuable pieces of a brides' wealth during marriage ceremonies. Unlike smaller wares, these were saved for extremely special occasions, primarily used to prepare and serve food during important feasts and annual festivals....
Friday, June 03, 2016
While the exact origin of the Golden Stool is unknown outside of legends, it came to symbolize the central role of carved wooden stools in the Ashanti culture. Not only are they functional objects, but also integral to Ashanti spiritual and religious customs....
