Textile with Tiny Leaves
1275–1350
The Cleveland Museum of Art
A silk textile fragment from Central Asia, woven with gold-thread leaves during the Il-khanid period. It preserves a refined example of courtly weaving practice.
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The Cleveland Museum of Art
A governed exhibition of open-access museum objects connected through living-heritage themes.
Album of Textile Samples
1790
The Cleveland Museum of Art
A Japanese album of silk textile samples dated 1790. As a portable group of materials, it preserves pattern reference and making knowledge together.
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Mask
550 BCE
The Cleveland Museum of Art
A terracotta mask from Selinus in Sicily, dated 550 BCE. The object points to ancient ritual and performative traditions, though its precise use should not be overstated.
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Dragon and Tiger
c. 1546–56
The Cleveland Museum of Art
A pair of Japanese folding screens in ink on paper, included here as a contextual work linking painted imagery, animal symbolism, and ritual imagination.
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Olmec Mask
c. 900–400 BCE
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Olmec jade mask associated with ritual contexts.
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Musical Instrument
1900s
The Cleveland Museum of Art
A traditional instrument from Uganda used in music-making and community performance.
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Lamellophone "thumb piano"
1900s
The Cleveland Museum of Art
A lamellophone, or thumb piano, in Bushoong style, made for traditional musical performance.
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Sitar
c. 1850
The Cleveland Museum of Art
A South Asian plucked string instrument associated with court music and devotional performance.
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Drum (ngoma)
no later than 1928
The Cleveland Museum of Art
A traditional East African drum used for ceremony, communication, and dance.
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Painted Drum
500-1000 CE
The Cleveland Museum of Art
A painted drum from the Andes, probably used in ritual performance and possibly associated with women players.
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Ritual Drum (damaru)
c. 1800
The Cleveland Museum of Art
A ritual hand drum used in Tibetan Buddhist and Hindu practice to mark rhythm and cyclical time.
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Handle of a Jiangu Drum
c. 770-475 BCE
The Cleveland Museum of Art
A bronze handle from a jiangu drum, made to suspend an ancient ritual instrument.
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Cranes and Serpents
c. 475-221 BCE
The Cleveland Museum of Art
A lacquered drum stand from the state of Chu, made to suspend a drum for ceremonial or symbolic use.
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Mandarin Robe
late 18th to early 19th century
The Cleveland Museum of Art
A robe worn by a Qing official, using silk and embroidery to express rank and status.
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Woman's Robe
907-1125
The Cleveland Museum of Art
A woman's robe from the Liao dynasty, using silk and gold-thread embroidery to signal status and imperial symbolism.
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Bridal Robe (Hwarot)
1850-1910
The Cleveland Museum of Art
A Joseon dynasty bridal robe, or hwarot, used in marriage rituals and often shared across generations of women.
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Buffalo Mask
early to mid-20th century
The Cleveland Museum of Art
A buffalo mask in Bwa style, used in dry-season ceremonies, harvest celebrations, and initiation rites.
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