Object: Necklace

E/1955/6/7
Necklace
Tasmaloun Bay area of Vanuatu (formerly New Hebrides)
ca. 1944
Materials: Twine, seeds

This necklace was collected on the island of Espiritu Santo, in the island nation of Vanuatu in 1944. The beads of the necklace are made of “sea beans” and in some cultures are considered good luck charms. The term sea bean refers to any seed or fruit that is distributed by rivers or oceans. These seeds use natural currents to transport themselves great distances from their parent plant, where they hope to take root and grow. The seeds float because they are either less dense than water or, more often, have an inner air pocket that acts as a floatation device.

The museum catalog only describes these seeds as “sea beans” but we have attempted to narrow down the type of seed to two likely candidates based on shape, texture, and color. The first, and more likely possibility is the Matchbox bean (Entada phaseoloides) from Australia. Matchbox beans come from a flowering vine native to the Oceanic region. While most sources warn that these seeds are toxic, there is also evidence that they can be eaten as food when properly prepared. The second possibility, though from a geography standpoint it seems much less likely, is the Seaheart (Entada gigas) from Africa and South America. Seahearts, much like Matchbox beans also come from flowering vines and can be eaten if properly prepared though they are more often used for medicinal purposes.

Can you help us identify these seeds? Let us know what you know. Provide a comment to this weblog or via email to dcswan@ou.edu.

The following video highlights some of the contemporary culture on the island of Espiritu Santo.

[Kathryn S. (Barr) McCloud]

Object: Coin

C/1956/9/2
Coin (As or aes)
Roman
Nîmes (Nemausus), France
10-14 CE
Materials: Bronze

This bronze coin, or as, was produced in a mint in the Roman town of Nemausus, now Nîmes in southern France, in about 10-14 CE. Assis were a primary unit of Roman currency, similar to a dollar in US currency today, and had the same value as 12 unciae (or ounces). The obverse, or heads, side of the coin shows the emperor Augustus (aka. Octavian) and his friend and general Marcus Agrippa. Augustus is considered to be the first Roman emperor, and was the adopted son of Julius Caesar (his uncle). After the assassination of Julius Caesar a triumvirate, or alliance between three leaders, was formed amongst Augustus, Marc Antony, and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus to avenge the death of Caesar and bring his murderers to justice. Over time this alliance broke down and resulted in a civil war between Augustus and Marc Antony. During this conflict Marc Antony allied himself with the Egyptian queen Cleopatra VII. Cleopatra had strong ties to Rome, and owed much of her reign to the influence of Julius Caesar. She had an illegitimate son with Julius Caesar and was famously involved with Marc Antony, having three children with him just prior to their deaths. The reverse, or tails, side of the coin shows a crocodile chained to a palm tree. The chained crocodile is meant to represent the Roman victory against Cleopatra VII of Egypt in 31 BCE, and end of the Roman civil war against Marc Antony. The victory at the Battle of Actium, signaled the final defeat of Antony and was lead by Augustus and Agrippa. Roughly four years after this victory, the Roman town of Nemausus was given the name “colonia” and veterans from Augustus’ force in the war were given lands in and around Nemausus. This coin, and others like it, were produced around the time of Augustus’ (14 CE) and Agrippa’s (12 CE) deaths, to honor them and the victory that gave many of the residents of Nemausus their lands.

The following video describes the Battle of Actium in more detail.

[Kathryn S. (Barr) McCloud]

Object: Tomb figure

E/1960/3/1
Horse tomb figure
Chinese
Henan Province, China
T’ang Dynasty (618-906 CE)
Materials: ceramic, slip

The ancient Chinese believed the human soul had two parts. When a person died they believed that these two parts separated, with one entering into the spirit world (also known as the hun), and the other (called the po) staying here on earth inside his or her tomb. In the T’ang Dynasty the upper-classes were buried with hundreds of clay objects called mingqi. Mingqi were representations of all the things that were important to individual and could include figures of people and animals, pots and bowls, and other everyday objects. These figures would ensure that the part of the soul that remained inside the tomb would have an enjoyable afterlife. Many aspects of the tomb were regulated by the government. The size of the tomb and the number of mingqi allowed depended on the rank and status of the deceased. Higher ranking officials were able to stock their tombs with large collections of tomb figures. Popular figures included representations of servants, entertainers, horses and camels. In particular, the horse was a symbol of the aristocracy and horse tomb figures, like the one in the Sam Noble Museum collection, were placed in nearly all high-ranking tombs. [Kathryn S. (Barr) McCloud]

Object: Snowshoes

E/1944/1/176
Model Snowshoes
Unknown tribe
North America: Alaska
ca. 1944
Materials: Wood, sinew, leather, twine

Snowshoes have been used by humans around the world for thousands of years. Some of the oldest known snowshoes have been found in Central Asia and date back to approximately 4000-3000 BCE. There are many different types and shapes of snowshoes but all are designed for the same purpose. Historically, in North America there were five basic shapes, or types, of snowshoes: the spear (or lance), the leaf, the disc (or pear), the ellipse, and ovate. Each shape was influenced by local terrain and snowfall amounts. A snowshoe used in areas of light snow and dense forest was less desirable in open terrain with deep drifting snow. Likewise certain shapes were preferred for long distance travel.

Photo on left: http://www.presentationmagazine.com/presentation_structure.htm Photo on right: http://www.tahoeculture.com/events/north-shore-events/full-moon-snowshoe-tours-at-north-lake-tahoe-march-26-27/

All snowshoes, regardless of type or origin, are meant to help a person walk on top of deep snow without having ones feet sink below the surface. This makes walking easier and helps to minimize the amount of snow that accumulates on ones feet and legs, keeping the wearer drier. Snowshoes work by spreading out the weight of your foot over a larger area, in the opposite way a pair of high heels concentrate ones weight on a small point. By spreading the weight of the wearer out over a larger area, the snow’s surface can then support the weight of the wearer without collapsing. The density of the snow and the weight of the wear affect how large the snowshoes need to be in order to effectively distribute the weight.

Traditionally snowshoes, like the model shoes shown above, were made of a lightweight wooden frame that was laced together or covered with animal skins. Today snowshoes are still popular and have evolved into high tech outdoor equipment, utilizing the latest materials and technology.

The following video shows George Albert of Ruby, Alaska making and talking about traditional Alaskan snowshoes.

[Kathryn S. (Barr) McCloud]

Object: Shirt

E/1995/1/24
Shirt or Huipil
Chuj Maya
Guatemala
ca. 1945
Materials: Cotton

This shirt, or huipil, from the Sam Noble Museum collection was made by an unknown member of the Chuj Maya community of Guatemala. Chuj is a language belonging to Q’anjobalan-Chujean family of Mayan languages. There are five branches in the Mayan language family, namely, Cholan-Tzeltalan, Huastecan, Q’anjobalan-Chujean, Quichean-Mamean, and Yucatecan. The Chuj language is spoken by many people in Guatemala and Mexico today. In Guatemala, most Chuj live in the department of Huehuetenango. Huehuetenango is one of Guatemala’s largest departments and is located along the Sierra de Los Cuchamatanes mountain range. This shirt is believed to have come from San Mateo Ixtatá, one of the two main Chuj communities in the region.

The huipil is a traditional Mayan garment, usually made of one or two pieces of hand woven cloth that is heavily decorated with embroidery around the neck. The designs used on huipiles are usually specific to the maker’s community and combine elements of Precolumbian and European styles. The influence of modern western-style clothing on traditional Mayan garments can be seen in this huipil’s fabric. Rather than being woven on a traditional backstrap or treadle loom, the fabric for this shirt is commercially produced muslin.

The following video shows a woman using a traditional backstrap loom.

[Kathryn S. (Barr) McCloud]

Object: Love sticks

E/1952/1/4 a-b
Pair of love sticks
Trukese
Chuuk (formerly Truk) island group, Micronesia
ca 1952
Materials: Wood and paint

This object is a pair of so-called “love sticks” from the Chuuk (formerly Truk) island group in Micronesia. These sticks were carved by men of the Chuuk island group as a part of their courtship traditions. Each man would carve his own unique pattern on to his love stick that could be identified by the single women in the village. According to tradition, when a man was interested in courting a woman for marriage the man would poke his love stick into the wall of her hut. The woman would then identify her suitor by the carvings on the love stick and decide if she was also interested in him. If she was interested she would pull the stick inside her hut, if she wasn’t interested she would push it out.

The Chuuk island group has seen a dramatic increase in anthropological and archaeological research since World War II. The Japanese took over control of the islands in 1914 and established a naval base in the lagoon that was in use during World War II. The lagoon still contains many wrecked ships and planes. During the war the native culture of the Chuuk islands suffered greatly. Many of the Truk people were either killed or wounded during the war and most were forced out of their homes to make way for Japanese military personnel stationed on the islands. On February 17-18, 1944 the United States launched an attack on the Japanese naval base in the Chuuk lagoon, called Operation Hailstone. The attack lasted two days and included a combination of airstrikes, surface ship actions, and submarine attacks. In the end, 16 Japanese war ships, and over 250 Japanese aircraft were destroyed. The Japanese were not able to restore full base operations on Chuuk which eliminated one of the largest threats to the Allied forces in the central Pacific.  The following video is an excerpt from an interview with a eyewitness to the Operation Hailstone attack. [Kathryn S. (Barr) McCloud]

Object: Mummified fish

C/1957/4/1-3
Mummified fish
Ancient Egyptian
Egypt
unknown date
Materials: Fish, cloth, resin, salt or natron

Ancient Egyptian culture is best known today for its mummies but, humans weren’t the only ones being mummified in Ancient Egypt. Animals were also commonly mummified. Animals were mummified for a variety of reasons, all connected to the Egyptian belief in an afterlife. The Ancient Egyptians viewed death as the beginning of a new life in the underworld, and much like an extended vacation, in order to enjoy this new life one would need to pack accordingly. Only those items properly persevered and stored within the tomb would be available to the deceased in the afterlife, this would include one’s own body and internal organs. Some animals were mummified because they were pets, and their owners wanted them to enjoy the afterlife with them. Any item or animal that one wanted to have in the afterlife had to be included in the tomb, so some animals were mummified to become food for deceased humans in the afterlife. Other animals were mummified because they were considered sacred to a particular deity. These animals were often associated with specific religious cults throughout Egypt, like the Apis Bulls at Memphis and the crocodiles at the Kom Ombo Temple.

The mummification of fish went on throughout much of Ancient Egyptian history but is thought to have reached its peak in the Ptolemaic period. The fish were mummified by removing their internal organs through a slit in the belly of the fish and then either soaked in brine or packed with salt or natron to dry out and preserve the fish. The fish would then be either packed in mud or covered in papyrus stalks and then wrapped in linen and covered in resin. This group of fish were unwrapped after they were discovered and only part of their original wrappings can be seen, on fish C/1957/4/1.

The following video shows a modern attempt at recreating fish mummification.

[Kathryn S. (Barr) McCloud]

Object: Ornament

E/1956/2/32
Feather ornament (or “tail”)
Machiguena
Peru
ca 1955
Materials: Feathers, cloth twine

This feather ornament is described in the Ethnology catalog as a “tail” that is meant to be attached to the back of a man’s robe, called a manchakintsi or cushma. The donor that collected with particular “tail” also donated the cushma it was meant to go with, E/1956/2/11, shown on the right. These objects were made by a member of the Machiguenga tribe of Peru. The Machiguenga are a part of the Arawakan linguistic family, a group of languages spoken throughout South and Central America. The Machiguenga live in the upper mountain rain forest of Southeastern Peru. The Machiguenga grow manioc, bananas, maize, sweet potatoes, peanuts and a variety of other crops in small agricultural plots cleared out of the forest. They supplement their diet by hunting, fishing and gathering other native foods from the forest. Feather ornaments, especially crowns and necklaces are popular amongst the Machiguenga.

Do you know any additional information on this type of ornament? Can you identify the type of feathers used? Let us know what you know. Provide a comment to this weblog or via email to dcswan@ou.edu. [Kathryn S. (Barr) McCloud]

Object: Jar

E/1956/6/31
Jar
Acoma
United States: New Mexico
ca. 1900
Materials: Ceramic & slip

This jar has been attributed to the Acoma pueblo of New Mexico. Acoma means “People of the White Rock,” a name that likely originated from their ancestral home, Sky City, located on top of a mesa. Pottery from the Acoma pueblo is known for its very thin walls, fluted rims, and beautifully painted geometric designs. Some of the better known designs used on Acoma pottery are based on ancestral pottery from Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon. The designs are painted onto the vessels by hand prior to firing using a slip of natural minerals and vegetal paints.  The following video shows an Acoma artist decorating one of her unfired pots.

This jar was donated to the museum by artist and illustrator Margaret LeFranc Schoonover (aka. Marguerite Frankel). Ms. LeFranc Schoonover was a friend and contemporary of many artists and scholars, largely based out of New Mexico, including Georgia O’Keefe, Alice Marriott, and Maria Marinez. It was through her connection with Alice Marriott, the first female graduate of the University of Oklahoma anthropology department and later associate professor of anthropology at the University of Oklahoma, that Ms. LeFranc Schoonover came to donate this jar and a number of other pieces to the Sam Noble Museum. [Kathryn S. (Barr) McCloud]

Object: Headdress

E/1945/2/1
Hair roach headdress
Unknown tribe
North America: Plains
ca. 1900
Materials: Hair, bone, feather, cloth, and metal

The hair roach headdress has been a popular form of personal adornment amongst Native American tribes since at least the 19th century. The origins of this style headdress are unclear but some have suggested it was influenced by the red crest of the Pileated Woodpecker, or the style of “roaching” a horse’s mane, or was an adaptation of the “Mohawk” hairstyle.

Hair roaches like this one are made by attaching bundles of hair to a base cord. The base cord is then sewn together in concentric loops, starting at the inside of the roach and working outward. A “spreader” holds the hair of the roach open and helps to attach the ties that are used to secure the roach to the wearer’s head. The size and shape of the spreader affects how the hair of the roach stands and changes the overall look of the roach. Spreaders can be made of rawhide, bone, or metal. This example of a child sized roach from the Sam Noble Museum has a bone spreader, possibly from the scapula of a bison and the hair appears to be either deer or horse.  In modern Fancy Dance regalia, feathers are attached to the spreader on either a “rocker” or a “spinner.” These attachments are designed to make the feathers move more vigorously when dancing.

The following video demonstrates how to care for and store a porcupine hair roach headdress. [Kathryn S. (Barr) McCloud]