French, probably Paris Coffer (book box?) with woodcut depicting the Monogram of Christ, ca. 1490–1500 wood, paper, metal, and red canvas Museum Purchase, Lloyd O. and Marjorie Strong Coulter Fund 2008.8 In the 1480s King Louis XI of France passed laws that required travelers to carry identification while traversing roads and entering city boundaries. This […]
Shark Tooth Sword, 19th century
January 16, 2014 By
Micronesian (Republic of Kiribati) Shark Tooth Sword, 19th century shark teeth, wood, coconut fiber, leaf, and human hair 14.2013 Micronesian people have inhabited the Gilbert Islands, a chain of sixteen atolls in the Pacific Ocean, for more than two thousand years. The Gilbertese traditionally made a variety of weapons for use in tribal warfare and violent […]
Spiny Lobster, late 19th century
September 20, 2013 By
Although this object might at first glance appear to be a spiny lobster, it’s actually an intricate ivory model, created in Japan towards the end of the 19th century. With the Meiji Restoration in 1868, the Japanese feudal system was finally eliminated, and Japan emerged as a modern, industrialized country. The Japanese government encouraged artists to […]
