C/1956/8/1
Fragment of a mummy cartonnage
Egyptian
18th dynasty (1570-1314 BCE)
Materials: linen or papyrus

This object is a multi-colored fragment of a mummy cartonnage possibly from the 18th Dynasty. Cartonnage was used for personal funerary ornaments such as mummy masks. The masks would cover the head, shoulders, and upper chest of the mummy to protect the face of the deceased. This particular piece was likely from the chest portion of a cartonnage mummy mask.

Cartonnage was made from thin, layered pieces of linen or papyrus. Once a shape had begun to form one side was coated with gesso (a mixture of glue and whiting plaster) to harden the shape. This coating allowed the maker to use detailed paint or gold leafing on the front side.

Each individual had their own design for their mask. Usually, the design would indicate something about the deceased. For instance, the mask may have been a representation of what the person looked like or enjoyed doing. An example of a gilded mummy mask can be seen at the British Museum.

[Brittany Teel]

C/1958/1/5
Replica, Kantharos with wreaths, fillets, thyrsi
Hildesheim Germany
Roman
ca. 100 CE
Materials: silver

This object is a replica of a silver kantharos found in Germany in 1868. The original was a part of a large treasure of about 50 silver pieces found by Prussian soldiers in Hildesheim, Germany. Now known as the Hildesheim Treasure, there are numerous replicas in museums. The reason such a large amount of Roman silver was buried outside of Roman territory is unclear. Many scholars have attributed the objects to a Roman general who may have buried the treasure to keep it safe. Also, dating the pieces is difficult but many are thought to date back to the 1st century C.E.

Named for its shape, the kantharos has two handles on each side. The design on the piece depicts Dionysus, who was the Greek god of wine. The design also incorporates masks, grapevines, and lion decorations, typical of items associated the cult of Dionysus. Before World War II, the original pieces of silver are in Berlin. Replicas such as this one allow students and scholars to study pieces of art that are located in far away places or no longer exist.

[Brittany Teel]

C/1953/42/4
Cast Replica, Votive of Snake Goddess
Crete, Palace of Knossos
Minoan
ca. 1750-1580 B.C.E.
Materials: original of faience

This object is a cast replica of a votive found in the excavation of the Palace of Knossos on the island of Crete in 1903. The leader of the excavation was Sir Arthur Evans. The original statue was found in an area of the palace named the Temple Repositories. Evans named the figure in this votive the Snake Goddess because of the repeated theme of snakes throughout the palace compound. For the Minoans, snakes were honored for their ability to shed their skins and resurrect themselves. This votive was found with another statue of a woman with snakes, and the two are thought to be a pair. However, the two objects have definite distinctions between them.

The original votive shows the woman with a full bell skirt, short apron, tight shirt exposing the chest, and arms raised above her head. The other statue shows a woman in a similar shaped skirt and tight shirt but her arms are raised out in front of her instead over her head. Some scholars still debate, which representation of the woman is the snake goddess and which is the snake princess.

As a method of understanding the Minoan culture, objects such as this one have been helpful, since scholars do not have a complete written record for the Minoans. Current research indicates that literacy was not widespread in Minoan culture and may have been strictly confined to the palaces. Additionally, most of the evidence of Minoan writing (Linear A) is found only on seals. Many think that because the figure of the Snake Goddess is prevalent in the palace artwork then they may have been a matriarchal society and worshiped primarily female deities. This has been used as evidence that Minoan society focused on fertility instead of warfare, and has given Minoan culture a much more peaceful reputation than their mainland counterparts, the Myceneans.

Presently, the original votive is located in the Heraklion Museum, but replicas like this help visitors all over the world see what Minoan artwork was like.

[Brittany Teel]

E/1982/11/450
Hopi: Basket Tray
North America
c. 1930
Materials: Grasses, Yucca, Devil’s Claw

This object is a basket tray made by the Hopi Indians of northern Arizona. The Hopi people are considered one of the oldest indigenous tribes of North America. The term “Hopi” comes from the name Hopituh Shi-nu-mu, which means “The Peaceful People.” Hopi are known for their production of high-quality art such as dolls, jewelry, ceramic, and baskets. This basket tray is made of a primary coil of grasses and a secondary coil of yucca, willow, and devils claw. There is a small handle on the top of the tray for hanging the basket in a display or as a plaque on the wall. The design on the basket is a pictorial of a Kachina or Katsina figure woven in devil’s claw. The devil’s claw is an integral part of the artistic design.

Yellow-flowered perennial devil's claw blossom.

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There are literally thousands of species of beautiful wildflowers in North America, but some of the loveliest and most interesting are called devil’s claws. They produce bizarre seed-pods that attach to the feet and legs of large animals, and include some of the largest hitchhiker fruits in the world.

Seed capsules - Proboscidea althaeifolia (Benth.) Decne.

The devil’s claw fruit is technically a drupaceous capsule with a woody inner part surrounded by a fleshy layer. The rather sinister common name of “devil’s claw” refers to the inner woody capsule that splits open at one end into two curved horns or claws. Each capsule contains about 40 black seeds that are gradually released when the claws split apart.

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[Loree Mcdonald and Lauren Simons]

E/1979/1/17
Akimel O’odham: Basket
North America
c. 1920
Material: Yucca, devil’s claw

This is an Akimel O’odham (or Pima) basket from the early 20th century. It is made of coiled yucca and devil’s claw. The Akimel O’odham are known for their skilled basket-weaving as well as the use of Squash Blossom and similar designs like the one on this basket. The Akimel O’odham are a group of American Indians living in an area consisting of what is now central and southern Arizona (USA) and Sonora (Mexico). The name means “river people.” They are thought to be culturally descended from the group archaeologically known as the Hohokam. The term Hohokam is a derivative of the O’odham words “Huhugam” (pronounced hoo-hoo-gahm) which is literally translated as “those who have gone before” but meaning “the ancestors.”

Currently, the majority of the population is based in the Gila River Indian Community (GRIC), although in historic times a large number of Akimel O’Odham migrated north to occupy the banks of the Salt River and formed the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. Both tribes are confederations of two distinct cultures that include the Maricopa.

[Loree Mcdonald]

E/1993/1/3
Tohono O’odham: Coiled Basket
North America
19th Century
Materials: Grasses, Yucca, Devil’s Claw

This is a Tohono O’odham basket coiled in the shape of a duck. The Tohono O’odham currently reside in southwest Arizona and northern Mexico, though historically they occupied a much larger land base known as the Papagueria. For this reason, the Tohono O’odham were often referred to as “Papago” tribes by early European settlers.

This basket measures approximately 10 inches long and 4 inches high. It is constructed from grasses, yucca, and devil’s claw and features closed-coil stitching. In closed-coil stitching, the coiled grasses are completely covered by the outer stitch and are not visible through the stitching. Baskets made with closed-coil stitching require more time and detail than those bound together with open stitches. In this basket, strips of white yucca cover the coils of grasses that make up the body of the duck. Additionally, dark strips of devil’s claw are used to stitch a geometric design into the basket.

While Tohono O’odham baskets are used to carry things and prepare food, this basket was probably made for the tourist market. Basketmakers can spend days, if not weeks, on the production of a single basket. Common techniques used in Tohono O’odham basketmaking include stitching horizontal lines, parallel lines, and vertical frets as seen here. More baskets like this one are expected to be displayed at SNOMNH in the coming spring; plan a visit and enjoy getting to know the Story Behind the Object!

[Lauren Simons]

C/2001/1/42
Red Figure Lekythos
Southern Italy, Apulia
Apulian
Attributed to the Choes Painter
ca. 350 BCE
Materials: ceramic

This object is a red figure Apulian lekythos that is believed to have been painted by the Choes Painter. The Choes Painter is part of the Lecce Group of Apulian Red Figure vase painters. A similar lekythos, attributed to the Thrysus painter (also part of the Lecce Group) can be found in the Ure Museum, of the University of Reading.

Red Figure vase painting was developed in Athens around 530 BCE and quickly surpassed Black Figure vase painting in popularity. Attic Red Figure vases were highly prized trade items and by the mid-5th century BCE workshops specializing in Red Figure pottery began to be found in Greek colonial areas such as Southern Italy. Before long the Red Figure vases of Apulia were comparable in artistic quality with those produced in Athens.

Apulian vase painting is commonly divided into two main styles, the “Plain” style and the “Ornate” (or “Rich”) style. The “Ornate” style is found mainly on large vessels like volute kraters or amphorae and, like the name suggests, is characterized by elaborate painted scenes sometimes containing up to twenty human figures. “Ornate” style decoration also tends to use a wider range of colors in its decoration, including lots of yellow and white painted areas. Meanwhile, “Plain” style vases tend to be small and the decoration is kept simple, with typically no more than a few human figures. [Kate Barr]

E/1954/19/10

Armadillo Basket
North America
20th Century
Materials: Armadillo shell

This basket is made from the shell of a nine-banded armadillo. The back of the armadillo forms the body of the basket and the looped tail forms the handle. The nine-banded armadillo is the only North American species of armadillo. Prior to 1850, the nine-banded armadillo was not found north of the Rio Grande river. In the past 150 years, however, armadillo populations have increased greatly in southern portions of the United States, and members of the species have been spotted as far north as Illinois. Armadillos generally live in temperate climates due to the lack of body fat and insulation against the cold. They are the only living mammals with shells and they subsist on insects, plants, and fruit.

The armadillo basket was popularized in the early 20th century by basketmaker Charles Apelt. Baskets, such as this one, were first displayed at the World’s Fair in 1902 and were an instant hit. Charles Apelt started the first armadillo farm in the United States and raised the animals for commercial purposes, producing baskets, lampshades, and smoker stands for tourists and collectors until the 1970s. Armadillo shells have also been used in other countries to make utility objects like musical instruments and food containers.

What do you think about this basket? Share your thoughts and enjoy getting to know the Story Behind the Object!

[Lauren Simons]

E/1982/11/403

Pomo Tribes: Feather Basket
North America
Early 20th Century
Materials: Feathers, Grasses

This object is a Pomo feather basket from the early 1900s. The “Pomo” name was originally ascribed to Indian tribes living in the area of present day California during the turn of the century, though researchers have since noted that over 70 different groups were represented by the name. Basketry techniques and styles were similar among the groups, however, especially in the production of feather baskets. This basket is small and measures only 3 inches wide (about the size of a baseball). It features a coiled construction– formed by small bundles of grasses stitched into a spiral to create the round shape and coiled body of the basket.

The yellow feathers on the basket come from the Western Meadowlark (see figure left). The Western Meadowlark is a North American species of the blackbird family. It lives in grassland areas primarily west of the Great Plains. The red feathers on the basket come from the Acorn Woodpecker (see figure right). The Acorn Woodpecker is a species of woodpecker that lives in the western and southwestern portions of the United States. Pomo baskets are produced by both men and women. Basketmakers collect the bright yellow feathers of the meadowlark and the small red feathers of the woodpecker with respect and reverence for the birds. In fact, many Pomo basketmakers, such as Mabel McKay, regard feather baskets as living entities in themselves and are careful to honor the spirit of the baskets. Just like the birds represented in the baskets, Pomo feather baskets are unique and come in many different types. They serve a variety of purposes and have been produced for ceremonial and religious contexts, daily use, and even tourism.

What do you think about this basket? Share your thoughts and enjoy getting to know the Story Behind the Object!

[Lauren Simons]

C/2001/1/16
Black Figure Lekythos
Greece
Attic
Attributed to the Athena Painter
ca. 450-430 BCE
Materials: ceramic

This object is a black figure Attic lekythos that is believed to have been painted by the Athena Painter. Lekythos, is the name that is used to describe a piece of Greek pottery that is cylindrical in shape with a single vertical handle. Lekythoi have a slender neck and a slightly larger mouth. It is thought that lekythoi were mainly used to hold oil or perfume, commonly used during religious ceremonies.

Painted Greek vases are known from as early as the second millennium BCE, and pottery was produced all over the Greek world. Early on there were countless local styles, but by the middle of the six century BCE the vases of Attica and its capital Athens had exceeded in quantity and quality those of their nearest rivals. This Attic supremacy lasted for a century and a half and survived many wars and political upheavals. After the Peloponnesian war Attic pottery went into a slow but steady decline, though vase painting continued in other parts of the Greek world.

The painted scene on this object depicts three warriors. They are shown as black figures with details etched through the paint and into the ceramic underneath. Moving counterclockwise from the handle, the first figure is standing with a shield in his left hand and a spear in his right. He is facing to the right and appears to be attacking the second figure. The second figure is crouching and facing the first figure. He holds a shield in his right hand, as if in defense, and a spear in his left. The third figure is facing the other two and is standing. He holds a shield in his right hand and has a spear drawn back in his left.

In black-figure vase painting, the decoration was applied by painting on a slip that turned black during firing, while the background was left the color of the clay. Vase painters added details to their decorations by incising parts of the painted slip or by adding small areas of white and purple. The white and purple areas were painted with mixtures of pigment and clay. In order to complete the pot, a special three stage firing process was used. During the first, oxidizing stage, air was allowed into the kiln, turning the whole vase the color of the clay. In the subsequent stage, green wood was introduced into the chamber and the oxygen supply was reduced, causing the object to turn black in the smoky environment. In the third stage, air was reintroduced into the kiln, causing the unpainted portions of the pot to turn back to orange while the painted areas remained black. The following is a video illustrates how Greek pottery was made.

The Athena Painter specialized in lekythoi and many pieces that have been attributed to this artist depict the goddess Athena in the painted decoration. The Athena Painter was one of only a few artists that continued to work in the black figure style after the red figure technique became popular. Other examples of pieces attributed to the Athena Painter can be found in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, the Baltimore Museum of Art, and many others. [Kate Barr]