Online Exhibits
World Cultures Exhibits
Body Adornment: Ethnographic Jewelry from Around the World
Precious metals, gems, stones, feathers, shells, glass, and even insects were used by cultures from around the world to adorn the body, serve as manifestations of wealth and mediums of economic exchange, acknowledge an individual’s cultural and social identity, and enhance one’s physical appearance. This exhibit provides a glimpse into what constitutes beauty from North America, Oceania, Mesoamerica, Africa, and South America.
Inspired by a donation of Hindu deities by Doug Allen, Prof. Emeritus Philosophy Department, University of Maine. Doug’s gift inspired us to create an exhibit showcasing a wide variety of Asian holdings which are among the Hudson’s collection. The exhibit showcases Hindu sacred sculptures, shadow puppets from Indonesia, armor and weapons from Korea and Japan, musical instruments from Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia and Hudson holdings and loan collections from China.
Technology and Tradition: Shaping Indigenous Collections for the Future
In preparation for repatriation of a Tlingit Frog Clan Helmet (HM5040), the Hudson Museum (with permission from the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indians Tribes of Alaska) partnered with the University of Maine Advanced Structures & Composites Center and Intermedia Programs students to create a replica. This exhibit shows the process and result of that effort.
Art has always had a special place in Persia. One of the most important arts in Iran is calligraphy, which features many different styles. View an exhibit of calligraphy created for the Hudson Museum by Shahab Andarva, member of the Iranian Calligraphers Association.
Lessons from the Past: Cultural Collapse and Decline
View examples from Mesoamerica, South America, and the region ranging from Northern Mexico to the American Southwest that shed some light on the delicate balance between people and place and how easy it is to tip the scales.
Oceania: Maine Mariners, Adventurers, and Anthropologists
Explore the various channels through which pieces from our Oceanic collection came to the Hudson Museum.
Cosmos in Clay: Ancient Ceramics and Gold from Panama
Sandwiched between Mesoamerica and Andean lands, Native peoples of this region produced distinctive art forms reflecting their cosmology.
Worldviews Online: Maya Ceramics from the Palmer Collection
Updated with clearer, larger images and a re-designed interface.Ceramics produced by ancient Maya scribes and artisans contain a wealth of information about religion and beliefs and show views of the worlds important to the Maya.
Images for Eternity: West Mexican Tomb Figures
Archaeologists and art historians are making progress in understanding West Mexican tomb figures that have lost their original context.
Masters of Persian Calligraphy
In this exhibit you’ll see 30 works from 28 masters with a range of styles.
Wabanaki and the Northeast Exhibits
Robert Anderson and the Leo and Florence Shay Collection
Robert Anderson bequeathed the contents of his museum to the Hudson Museum to hold in trust until such time that the Penobscot Nation has a museum facility. This exhibit presents an overview of his collection.
Maine’s Threatened Shell Middens: Losing a Link to Understanding Our Past
This exhibit by Alice Kelley includes 27 images instructing audiences on the importance of–and dangers to–Maine’s shell middens.
Tree and Tradition: Brown Ash and Native American Basketmaking
Traces the evolution of Wabanaki basketmaking and examines problems that threaten basketmakers’ livelihoods and their ability to perpetuate a cultural tradition.
A groundbreaking collaboration between the Museum and the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance and features collections from private and institutional lenders as well as UMaine research from the Forest Ecosystem Science Department
Transcending Traditions features five contemporary Wabanaki basketmakers who represent the next generation: Jeremy Frey, Ganessa Bryant, Sarah Sockbeson, George Neptune and Eric “Otter” Bacon.
Crooked Knives: Tools of the Trade
The history and use of these specialized woodworking tools indigenous to the Northeast and adapted by European settlers.
Snowshoes: A Gift from Gluskabe
For Native Peoples of the sub Arctic, snowshoeing was not a winter recreational sport. The ability to make and use snowshoes was a life skill essential to survival.
Brilliantly Beaded: Northeastern Native American Beadwork
Beadworking traditions of Native peoples of the Northeast from the 17th century to present.