Slave auctioneer's token, 1846. These tokens were distributed as one-cent pieces and served as advertisements for the businesses and services depicted on the coins. Face view of token reads "W.W. Wilbur Auction & Commission Merchant; Charleston, So. Ca.; Going at Only A Penny" encircling the image of an auctioneer. Obverse view of token reads "Merchants & Manufactors Agents; Collection Broker Notary Public" encircling the image of a tree.
A multipurpose ax that was used for digging, clearing and breaking ground. According to Mrs. Gold, it was used in Mount Pleasant before saws and machines were available to clear land to plant crops. The long side was used for hewing trees or bushes and the short side for cutting tree roots.
Front and back views of a metal lunchbox and thermos depicting scenes from the television show "Welcome Back, Kotter" which aired on ABC from 1975 to 1979.
Copper slave badge imprinted "Charleston No. 261 Fruiterer 1812." The badge is a contemporary counterfeit--"Fruiterer" is not a known occupation to be printed upon slave badges.
Copper slave badge, square in shape, reading "Charleston 20 Servant 1823." Under the date, a stamp reads "LAFA," signifying the maker, John Joseph Lafar.
Pewter slave badge produced for a servant in Charleston, S.C. It was common to counterfeit badges to avoid paying taxes, and this particular one was not issued by the city, but created in the stamped year. The face is stamped "Charleston 1862 Servant #4." Back side contains no markings.
Copper slave badge, square in shape. Face is stamped "Charleston 1840 Servant 1869." 1840 is the year produced and 1869 signifies that it was the 1,869th "servant" badge sold that year.
Large straw bag made of dark colored straw and decorated with shells. Lined with brown cloth. The straw was woven in Long Bay Cays and sold to craftswomen in Nassau. Originally purchased in the straw market of Nassau, Bahamas.
Skin carrying bag designed like a large pocket book, made to be worn through the arms on a back, straps crisscross on back; origin Mbuti people of the Ituri rainforest.
Silk bandanna or neckerchief belonging to crewmember James Wicks. Images show the bandana following removal from the submarine interior and the bandana following cleaning, soaking, conservation treatment, and freeze drying.
A piece of bark cloth, a non-woven textile made by beating the inner bark of certain trees and bushes until it is fine and soft. Brown with darker brown geometric designs; orign Ituri forest, Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire).
A piece of bark cloth, a non-woven textile made by beating the inner bark of certain trees and bushes until it is fine and soft. Brown with geometric squares; origin Ituri forest, Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire).
A piece of bark cloth, a non-woven textile made by beating the inner bark of certain trees and bushes until it is fine and soft. Reddish brown with faint orange lines, design is made of small rectangles separated by two lines; origin Ituri forest, Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire).
A piece of bark cloth, a non-woven textile made by beating the inner bark of certain trees and bushes until it is fine and soft. Reddish orange and brown with intricate geometric patterns on light brown background; origin Ituri forest, Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire).
A piece of bark cloth, a non-woven textile made by beating the inner bark of certain trees and bushes until it is fine and soft. Tan in color with random brown stars on one side and brown stars connected by lines on the other side; origin Ituri forest, Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire).
A piece of bark cloth, a non-woven textile made by beating the inner bark of certain trees and bushes until it is fine and soft. Brown with spotted design, one small area of geometric designs; origin Ituri forest, Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire).
A piece of bark cloth, a non-woven textile made by beating the inner bark of certain trees and bushes until it is fine and soft. Intricate geometric pattern throughout with a random design; origin Ituri forest, Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire).
A piece of bark cloth, a non-woven textile made by beating the inner bark of certain trees and bushes until it is fine and soft. Reddish brown cloth, various symbols, designs in black and reddish orange; origin Ituri forest, Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire).
A piece of bark cloth, a non-woven textile made by beating the inner bark of certain trees and bushes until it is fine and soft. Three pieces of dark brown cloth stiched together with light brown raffia; origin Ituri forest, Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire).
A piece of bark cloth, a non-woven textile made by beating the inner bark of certain trees and bushes until it is fine and soft. Light background with red and gray lines; origin Ituri forest, Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire).
Bark picture on wood backing; man with spear, woman with basket on head, and figure under a tree; large hut in foreground, two in background, large palm tree on righthand side of picture; framed with wire on back for hanging; origin Uganda.
A piece of bark cloth, a non-woven textile made by beating the inner bark of certain trees and bushes until it is fine and soft. Reddish brown background, wavy lines with circles and half circles; origin Ituri forest, Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire).
A piece of bark cloth, a non-woven textile made by beating the inner bark of certain trees and bushes until it is fine and soft. Light brown background, half is decorated with brown circles and half with lines and circles; origin Ituri forest, Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire).
A piece of bark cloth, a non-woven textile made by beating the inner bark of certain trees and bushes until it is fine and soft. Light brown background with red and brown dyed intricate design, geometric shapes, straight lines, and stars; origin Ituri forest, Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire).
A piece of bark cloth, a non-woven textile made by beating the inner bark of certain trees and bushes until it is fine and soft. Dark brown lines with darker brown dye and geometric patterns painted on lines of various shapes; origin Ituri forest, Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire).
A piece of bark cloth, a non-woven textile made by beating the inner bark of certain trees and bushes until it is fine and soft. Reddish brown background, triangles in black plaid, black hooks, and various leaves and stars. One side appears to be unfinished. Origin Ituri forest, Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire).
A piece of bark cloth, a non-woven textile made by beating the inner bark of certain trees and bushes until it is fine and soft. Half of the cloth is spotted and the other half is made of sections of stars divided by lines. Pale brown background and dark brown dye. Origin Ituri forest, Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire).
A piece of bark cloth, a non-woven textile made by beating the inner bark of certain trees and bushes until it is fine and soft. Light brown background with black dye, various shapes and two orange lines; origin Ituri forest, Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire).
A piece of bark cloth, a non-woven textile made by beating the inner bark of certain trees and bushes until it is fine and soft. Brown background with black lines, red lines, and black outlines throughout; origin Ituri forest, Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire).
A piece of bark cloth, a non-woven textile made by beating the inner bark of certain trees and bushes until it is fine and soft. Light brown background with dark brown stripes; origin Ituri forest, Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire).
A piece of bark cloth, a non-woven textile made by beating the inner bark of certain trees and bushes until it is fine and soft. Light brown background with dark brown design; origin Ituri forest, Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire).
A piece of bark cloth, a non-woven textile made by beating the inner bark of certain trees and bushes until it is fine and soft. Reddish brown cloth, various geometric designs; origin Ituri forest, Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire).
A piece of bark cloth, a non-woven textile made by beating the inner bark of certain trees and bushes until it is fine and soft. Light background with red dots, gray lines, and triangles with lines; origin Ituri forest, Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire).
A piece of bark cloth, a non-woven textile made by beating the inner bark of certain trees and bushes until it is fine and soft. Tan background with dark brown design; origin Ituri forest, Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire).
Small piece of brown bark cloth with painted black squares, red dots, and red and black lines; origin Ituri forest, Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire).
Oval sweetgrass basket with seven sets of pine knots (called "love knots") which are visible only from the outside; basket is accented with rows of pine needle; also contains bulrush; sewn with palmetto leaf; bottom reads "Anne Scott 2006."
Multiple views of a sweetgrass sewing basket with handles on a pedestal base; lid has open nipple and is decorated with six pine knots; basket contains some rows of pine needles and is sewn with palmetto leaves.
Circular winnowing basket; tightly woven, wrapped loop attached to rim and below rim is one solid piece of bamboo for stability; origin Mbo people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire).
Yellow, violet, and natural coiled raffia basket with two handles; tray-shaped, repetitive geometric decorations in natural raffia within violet bands, edge is three rows of tightly woven material with handles on either side, plain underside; origin Uganda.
Yellow, violet, and natural coiled raffia basket; repetitive geometric decorations in natural raffia within violet bands, edge is three rows of tightly woven material, plain underside; origin Uganda.
Coiled basked with lid; has beaded cover of blue, yellow, green, red, and white beads in diamond designs, beaded knob on top, tightly woven; resembles sweetgrass baskets of the South Carolina lowcountry; origin Luo people of Kenya.
Coiled grass basket with conical lid; lid tightly woven with raffia, top twelve rows dyed black; bottom has black geometric pattern, rest of basket is natural; possible origin is Central Africa.
Coiled, oblong fruit basket with cross handle made of sweetgrass, bulrush, and pine needle, sewn with palmetto leaf. This basket was created by a left-handed artist, visually evident by the slant of the palmetto leaf wraps. The wraps in a right-handed basket typically slant to the left, while the wraps in this basket slant to the right.
Thick coiled round basket of bulrush fastened with palmetto leaf. Although this is a contemporary basket, it is a very old form; few basketmakers use bulrush today because it is extremely tough to work.
Front and top views of a contemporary sweetgrass basket for decorative use in the shape of a hat; center constructed of pine needle; sewn with palmetto leaf.
Front and top views of a contemporary sweetgrass basket for decorative use in the shape of a hat; center constructed of pine needle; sewn with palmetto leaf.
Front and interior views of a multiple views of a contemporary sweetgrass basket in the form of a hat, made of sweetgrass and bulrush and sewn with palmetto leaf. There is a felt band sewn inside.
Front and interior views of a coiled sewing basket made of bulrush, pine needle, and sweetgrass sewn with palmetto leaf. Basket has two handles and a lid that is decorated with pine knots.
Front, interior, and profile views of a multi-colored basket made of sweetgrass, bulrush, and pine needle, sewn with palmetto leaf. Sweetgrass is natural and dyed blue, orange, and red. A wrapped hinge is sewn into the bottom for hanging purposes.
Yellow, violet, and natural coiled raffia basket; repetitive geometric decorations in natural raffia within violet bands, edge is three rows of tightly woven material, plain underside; origin Uganda.
Full and profile views of a coiled basket, possibly used for fruit, with a cross handle; made with sweetgrass, bulrush and pine needle, sewn with palmetto leaf. Basket is asymmetric and sits extremely crooked in its natural state; this feature has been manually edited somewhat in the images to ease viewing the object.
Multiple views of a hinged sweetgrass basket with domed cover, decorated with pine knots and used as a sewing basket. Made with sweetgrass, pine needle, and bulrush sewn with palmetto leaf.
Front and interior views of a miniature basket made of sweetgrass and pine needle sewn with palmetto leaf. Decorative version of a sewing basket with removable lid.
Egg basket made of sweetgrass, bulrush, and pine needle, sewn with palmetto leaf. Cross handle is decorated with pine knots; wall slopes out from flared mouth and in towards bottom.
