Dish

2023-12-15T15:07:26-05:00

As a teenager, Maria Montoya Martínez learned how to make pottery from artists in her San Ildefonso Pueblo community in present-day New Mexico, the birthplace of black-on-blackware pottery. Today, she is celebrated for her “rediscovery” of this historic style of ceramics, which had declined in use amongst Pueblo potters beginning in the early 1800s. Martínez [...]

Paper Dolls I

2024-01-03T14:54:17-05:00

What do you think you would look like as a doll? This collection of paper dolls and dresses were made in 1898 by American artist and feminist activist Emily Grace Hanks when she was only twelve years old. The tiny waists, ballooning sleeves, and luxurious fabric of these paper dresses reflect common fashion trends among [...]

Leaf from a Medieval Bible

2016-08-02T15:53:59-04:00

Until the development of movable type printing in the West in the 15th century, books were copied by hand. Parchment (prepared animal skin) was the usual material until paper came into common use. The Bible was among the most-copied and deeply studied texts. This leaf, from a Bible copied in Italy in the mid-13th century, [...]

Drachma

2016-07-27T19:54:25-04:00

Greek coinage has existed since at least the seventh century B.C.E. Many scholars and numismatists consider the Classical period of Greek art to be the pinnacle of achievement for coins. This drachma coin was minted under the rule of Alexander the Great, the last of the Classical rulers. Classical Greek art was characterized by its [...]

“Yucca Aloifalia,” from Les Lilliacées

2019-05-15T09:05:18-04:00

Jean-Pierre Redouté was born in Saint-Hubért in what is today Belgium. He came from a family of painters and decorators, and left home at age 13 to pursue painting. In 1782 he made his way to Paris, where he was introduced to many aristocrats. In Paris he moved toward botanical illustration and became official draughtsman [...]

Fumette

2019-05-15T09:05:18-04:00

James Whistler was born in Connecticut, but spent most of his life in Europe. His father was a railroad engineer, and when Whistler was eleven the family relocated to St. Petersburg, which Whistler claimed as his birthplace during a libel trial in his later life. Whistler’s first job was drafting the United States coastline for [...]

Spade Money

2016-07-27T14:32:32-04:00

Chinese spade money is an interesting look at how important agriculture was to the kingdoms that minted this currency. Spade money evolved from weeding tools used during the Zhou Dynasty, and early types included a hollow area for a handle. Eventually the hollow areas became flat and easy to stack. Different states minted their own [...]

Jersey Coin

2016-07-26T20:44:18-04:00

Celtic coins began as stylistic copies of Greek coins. As coinage moved throughout the rest of Gaul from Greek outposts on the Mediterranean, the styles abstracted to fit the current Celtic aesthetic. The Gauls were Celtic groups living in France before Roman conquest, and had social and governmental systems in place that were just as [...]

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