The Fortepiano (1720)

The fortepiano is one the oldest surviving early pianos. The artifact remains on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The piano has only 54 keys, while modern pianos have 88. The structure is wing shaped similar to a hapsicord. The piano would produce a different sound,giving musicians more to work with. […]

Head of Man with Tight Curly Hair Sculpture ( 120-100 B.C.E)

This sculpture was from the 2nd century B.C.E, which depicts the face of a Nubian man. Nubia refers to the region along the Nile river between Aswan and central Sudan. The Nile valley composed many African civilizations. Meroe, Napata, Kerma, and Kush were major kingdoms. The art found provides a record of various peoples living […]

King Obalufon II Copper Mask (1300)

African art provides a record of the continent’s history. The King Obalufon II copper mask was produced in 1300. The mask was discovered in Ife. Ife and Oyo were prominent Yoruba kingdoms in the 14th century. These kingdoms were located in what is now modern Nigeria. There were more metal mask artifacts discovered in Nigeria […]

The Cedid Atlas Map of Africa (1803)

The Cedid Atlas was one the first mass published Arabic language atlases. Produced in Istanbul in 1803 it provided officials of the Ottoman Empire and its subjects a knowledge of the world. The Cedid Atlas Tercumesi included all the world continents. This map of Africa shows the boundaries before the scramble for Africa in the […]

Year of The Youth Stamp Featuring Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said (1993)

Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said was the leader of Oman from 1970 until his death in 2020. This will be a major political and cultural change for a country that has known only one sultan for decades. He was a reformer compared to his father whom he deposed. This stamp from 1993 celebrates National […]

Germanic Funen Bractate (375 CE- 538 CE )

This is a Germanic Fuen bractate that could be from the migration period ( 375-538). Named after the island it was found on, the artifact currently resides in the National Museum of Denmark. This was the time in which the Western roman Empire faces invasions on multiple fronts. Artifacts provide evidence of which peoples invaded […]

Anti-German World War I Propaganda Poster

This is an anti-German propaganda poster encouraging men to enlist in the armed forces. Germans and the German Empire are represented as a violent barbaric ape carry a club that says culture. Normally, when a nation goes to war they demonize and dehumanize the people they are fighting. The poster was attempting to present the […]

Italian Morion Helmet (1580)

This is an Italian morion helmet from around 1580. This was type of soldier’s helmet normally produced in Spain. It became associated with Spanish explorers and conquistadors, but they were not the only ones to use this helmet . The kingdom of Castile used these types of helmets the most, yet other European states and […]