Feast

This pottery from Coclé culture of pre-Columbian Panama is known for its strong structural forms and elaborate designs executed in slip-painted terracotta.

Polychrome “Chip and Dip” Vessel

700-1100 C.E. Panama

Pottery from Coclé culture of pre-Columbian Panama is known for its strong structural forms and elaborate designs executed in slip-painted terracotta.

This elaborately conceived piece won 2nd prize in a Day of the Dead festival in Patzcuaro, Michoacan, a region famous for its ceramic handicrafts.

Restaurant Scene

2006 Mexico

This elaborately conceived piece won 2nd prize in a Day of the Dead festival in Patzcuaro, Michoacan, a region famous for its ceramic handicrafts.

Lidded Injera Basket

Mid-20th Century Ethiopia

No microwave required, this basket was made to keep food warm.

This Navajo rug is a weft tapestry woven of handspun wool. It depicts two stalks of corn with birds flying around the tops.

Rug Depicting Corn with Birds

c. 1910-1920 USA

This Navajo rug is a weft tapestry woven of handspun wool.

This bowl was hewn by hand from Kou, a prized wood that has become very scarce in Hawaii. It does not consist of any design, just the grain of the dark wood.

Bowl (Ümeke)

19th century USA

This bowl was hewn by hand from Kou, a prized wood that has become very scarce in Hawaii.

This painted wood and lacquer kanban, or shop sign, features a daikon radish and turnip.

Shitta Kanban for Greengrocer

Late 19th Century Japan

Merging art and commerce with the primary aim of standing out in crowded street, kanban are precursors to the neon signs ubiquitous in Tokyo today.