If you live in Denmark, and just happened to be at home yesterday, you might be surprised by groups of costumed children ringing your doorbell, singing songs and asking for money, and promising mischief if you do not comply. Yesterday, you see, was ‘Fastelavn’, the […]
Month: February 2017

Pointy things: The knives of The Ethnographic Collections
Sometimes, it all just becomes very grown-up. You go to work, drive your car, pick up kids from kinder garden, school, or whatever party they went to on Friday night, you struggle to decide what to have for dinner. You pay your taxes, buy toilet […]

Valentine’s Day Special: The Makonde figures
Tomorrow being Valentine’s Day, we thought we’d showcase some of our more… shall we say… sexy artefacts: the sometimes racy and endlessly fascinating Makonde art. Let us get a bit of background before we get to the saucy bits. The Makonde are an ethnic group […]

Protective measures: Bullet proof vest from Northern Thailand
Sometimes, we just need that bit of extra protection. To ward off evil spirits, protect us from accidents and jealousy, and to shield us from harm when we throw ourselves into perilous situations… For thousands of years, we humans have carried amulets and sacred objects, […]