Azuchi-Momoyama period (1573-1603)
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The Momoyama period is named for the site of the last great architectural project of the shogun Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598). It is sometimes referred to as the Azuchi-Momoyama period, referring to Oda Nobunaga's (1534-1582) castle at Azuchi. The dates of this transitional period preceding the establishment of a single, unified authority are still debated.
Muisca (Chibcha) Region
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The ancient peoples of modern Colombia lived along trade routes that connected North and South America. Ideas and technical skills also traveled along these routes.
Calima Region
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The ancient peoples of modern Colombia lived along trade routes that connected North and South America. Ideas and technical skills also traveled along these routes.
Thali (pendant)
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Marriage ceremonies in India are very elaborate, lasting multiple days and including substantial symbolic rituals.
Lakshmi
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Lakshmi, Vishnu’s Shakti, or female counterpart, is the goddess of wealth and prosperity. She is worshiped to ensure the blessing of affluence to her followers. Like Durga and Parvati, Lakshmi is a form of the Great Goddess, and like Vishnu she represents stable happiness in the human world. Because of the common human desire for wealth, she has a definite cult of her own.
Hookah base
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Inlaying shiny metal pieces into black zinc vessels to form decorative patterns is an artistic technique that is unique to India. In fact, the knowledge and use of zinc as an independent metal flourished in India long before the process of its distillation was known in the West.
Champlevé
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Champlevé involves extracting holes in a base such as silver, bronze, or copper and then filling the grooves with enamel. It is subsequently fired and polished to the level of the metal.
Drawn from
- Anne R.
Cloisonné
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Cloisonné involves soldering thin strips of metal to a base to outline patterns and then filling them with enamel paste. As a result the areas of colored enamel are separated from each other.
Drawn from
- Anne R.
Hair braid ornament
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
This exquisite piece of jewelry comes from the state of Tamil Nadu in southern India. Certainly this work is associated with jewelry worn by practitioners of Bharatanatyam, a classical south Indian dance that originated in Tamil Nadu. It was originally performed in temples by highly trained and educated women who served the deity and thus did not marry.