Man's shoulder or hip cloth (hinggi)
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Traditionally, Sumbanese men's ikat cloths, called hinggi, could be woven only by upper-class women. Women planted and harvested the cotton, carded and spun it, prepared the dyes, applied the motifs, wove, and completed the fabrication of these remarkable textiles.
Serpent-form head ornament (sanggori) & Serpent-form head ornament (sanggori) with human figure
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The western region of Central Sulawesi was historically a center for local coppersmithing. Sanggori is one of the names given to a spiral ornament fashioned of copper alloy, a type of adornment that was widespread among the peoples of Central and North Sulawesi and may be ancient in design. In some areas, these ornaments were attached to headcloths, in others, fastened directly in the hair.
Sword with handle resembling a human face in profile
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Of all weaponry in Tanimbarese culture, the krai silai, or "great sword" is without a doubt the most impressive.[1] Its extra-long blade and often splendidly carved hilt would inspire awe in the enemy.
Shield (balulang)
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The peoples of Indonesia traditionally made shields in a wide variety of shapes, usually elongated, and quite different from European examples. Shields of the more remote cultures of the Indonesian islands were popular items of collection by Europeans during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
1985.B.42, Unknown maker, Girandole mirror, New York (?), U.S. or England, 1810-1830
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Girandole glasses came into popularity in England during the last decade of the 18th century, and by about 1805 such mirrors were being used in America.
John Doggett, Looking glasses
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The following essay is from the 1989 publication American Furniture in the Bybee Collection, by Charles L. Venable.
1985.B.40.1, John Doggett, Looking glass, Roxbury, Mass, c. 1800-1815
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Patterned after English examples, large looking glasses like these were extremely expensive. Large pieces of silvered mirror glass were not produced in the United States and, therefore, had to be imported.
Door with protective symbols (baa betamen)
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
While they vary greatly in size and architecture, the most impressive traditional Dayak houses consisted of a long row of contiguous apartments. Each family unit was connected to an unimpeded veranda that stretched the entire length of the longhouse. In precolonial times, these structures were sometimes raised on tall pylons and, in times of strife, sometimes surrounded by stout stockades.
Mask, 2003.38
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Masking traditions were once found in many parts of Borneo.