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Carved feathered serpent pendant made from conch shell
The Use of Mollusk Shells in the Americas Before the Sixteenth Century
Mollusk shells were transported as precious materials throughout the Americas and used to craft objects for religious activity and personal adornment.
Adrián Velázquez Castro
February 24
Carved feathered serpent pendant made from conch shell
El uso de los caparazones de moluscos en América antes del siglo XVI
Más allá del valor alimenticio de estas criaturas, en la antigüedad los caparazones de moluscos se empleaban para producir objetos de adorno personal y para actividades religiosas.
Adrián Velázquez Castro
February 24
A sandstone figure with detailed garments and carved wings
The Nature Deities of Early South Asia
Early South Asian art depicted nature as divine—yakshas, yakshis, and nagas embodied fertility, water, and sacred power in human and hybrid form.
Harsha Gautam
February 18
Cut paper greeting card with roses.
“A Rose by Any Other Name”
Missives of love and the secret language of flowers in Victorian ephemera.
Nancy Rosin
February 13
Palepai maju showing a colorful design of two ships converging on a central tower with emanating flames
Textiles in Island Southeast Asia
Throughout Island Southeast Asia, skilled artisans craft textiles that weave together identity, ancestry, harmony, and cosmology.
Sylvia Cockburn
January 5
Arm or leg bands made from colored shell beads arranged in geometric designs
Body Adornment in Solomon Islands
In Solomon Islands, personal adornment conveys status, transforms the body, enhances ancestral communication, and protects the wearer.
Sylvia Cockburn
December 18, 2025
Picture of two conservators showing darkroom experiments
Man Ray’s Rayographs: A Multi-Collection Assessment Organized by The Met
See how conservators, curators, and data scientists combined darkroom practice, scientific analysis, and digital tools to explore the artistry of Man Ray’s rayographs.
December 10, 2025
Sculpted stone head of a woman with almond eyes and scarification marks beside its left eye.
The Soapstone Sculptures of Èṣìẹ
The Èṣìẹ sculptures offer a window into a sophisticated precolonial West African society and maintain an enduring spiritual and historical significance today.
Adekunle Temilade Adeniji
October 24, 2025
Large stone head with bold features, filed teeth, and an elaborate cap or coiffure signifying a high-ranking individual.
Nomoli and Pomdo Stone Figures of Upper Guinea
The stone figures of the Upper Guinea coast speak to the complexity, technical skill, hierarchical societies, and spiritual beliefs of the Sapi world.
Adekunle Temilade Adeniji
October 2, 2025
Stone monolith sculpted with low-relief human facial features
The Akwanshi Stone Monoliths of the Cross River Region in Nigeria and Cameroon
Stone monoliths, sculpted with low-relief human features, populate the lush tropical rainforests of southeastern Nigeria and southwestern Cameroon.
Adekunle Temilade Adeniji
September 25, 2025