@pittriversmuseum.bsky.social
Anthropology and archaeology collections from world cultures past and present.
@pittriversmuseum.bsky.socialA Māori kiwi feather cloak, gifted in 1900 to Dr George Cleghorn by Hapareta Rore Pukekohatu and Mere te Hiko & loaned to the Pitt Rivers by Cleghorn’s widow, Helen, in 1913, is returning home after its transfer to the Ngāti Rārua o Te Wairau Society in Aotearoa New Zealand.
@pittriversmuseum.bsky.socialGakkeido, an indigenous folk religion based on mountain worship in the Kyushu region of Japan, is centred on magic & practised only by women. This religion is almost extinct in Japan today. Hear a talk by the last successor of the Gakkeido practice. Fri 16 Oct, 12-4pm. £8.
@pittriversmuseum.bsky.socialClothworkers’ Detail of the Day: Üç Etek Entari, a three-skirt robe from late Ottoman Turkey. Cream-and-red striped silk, scalloped edges and exquisite stitching form an elegant silhouette. It was gifted to a British diplomat's wife in Ankara in the late 1960s & was donated with a headdress & belt.
@pittriversmuseum.bsky.socialSATURDAY 10 OCTOBER Please note that the Pitt Rivers Museum will open tomorrow at 12pm, due to a museum event. The Oxford University Museum of Natural History will open at 10am as usual.
@pittriversmuseum.bsky.socialThe Oxford Mexican Society invite you to celebrate Día de los Muertos after dark at Pitt Rivers! Enjoy short talks & music, try pan de muerto, hot chocolate & tequila, & explore the Latin American collections. Come as you are or show off your best La Catrina/El Catrin costume!
@pittriversmuseum.bsky.socialBook now for our cushion weaving course with weaver, designer and author, Angie Parker, and learn the therapeutic process of hand-weaving on a professional multi-shaft loom. Sat 27 Feb, 10.00-16.30. Tickets: £185 (Members £148), includes all materials, lunch & refreshments.
@pittriversmuseum.bsky.social📷 Clothworkers’ Textiles Through the Lens: Today we’re celebrating the 'kira', Bhutan’s national dress for women and a symbol of its rich textile heritage. These photographs by Michael Aris show women wearing and weaving 'kira' in eastern Bhutan, 1983–85.
@pittriversmuseum.bsky.socialDiscover the art of linocut printmaking in this beginners' session run by artist Sally-Anne Stewart. Learn how to design, carve & print lino blocks, creating a set of unique art prints to take home. All equipment & materials included. Sat 27 Jan, 10.00-13.00. £60 (Members £48). tinyurl.com/3euw28p7
@pittriversmuseum.bsky.socialJoin author Kate Wiseman in the galleries to hear readings from her new book inspired by the Pitt Rivers Museum's famous witch in a bottle, followed by an exclusive Q&A and then go on a treasure trail around the galleries! Thursday 29 October, 5-6.30pm. £3 or £5 for families.
@pittriversmuseum.bsky.socialOpening today 'On Paradise: Between Hope & Memory' is a new exhibition at Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities by artist Saad Qureshi, who has also created sculptural responses to the collections at each Oxford University museum. Discover 'Geography of the Mind' at Pitt Rivers.
tinyurl.com/57znht7v
@pittriversmuseum.bsky.socialClothworker’s Detail of the Day: This striking Moroccan akhnif (cloak) is woven from wool and goat hair, with geometric patterns and a red eye motif thought to protect against the evil eye. It was worn by Amazigh and Jewish men, offering warmth and water resistance in Morocco’s mountainous regions.
@pittriversmuseum.bsky.socialThe old and the new - a 19th century Haida transformation mask, carved by master carver Charles Edenshaw, displayed above a replica mask created by one of his descendants, Jaalen Edenshaw. Look closely and you'll see the 'Haida emojis' at the centre of the mask, a modern take on an old tradition.
@pittriversmuseum.bsky.socialGakkeido, an indigenous religion based in the Kyushu region of Japan, is centred on magic & practised only by women. kiRin, the last Gakkeido practitioner, talks about this almost extinct religion & compares it to other belief systems including Evenki cosmology. 16 Oct, 1-4pm. tinyurl.com/5c7xfaty
@pittriversmuseum.bsky.socialWe are delighted to announce that digital heritage researcher Chanel Coromandel, master weaver Hamuera Manihera and cultural interpretation expert Paora Tibble have been selected as the inaugural Te Māori Fellows at Pitt Rivers Museum, taking up residency in October 2026.
@pittriversmuseum.bsky.socialA Yorkshire witch cake collected in 1933. According to the label, these cakes were made every year between the 1st - 6th April and suspended behind the door to keep away witches. Hear more fascinating facts on our Witchcraft, Amulets & Magic tour, Wed 14 Oct, 2-3pm. £8/Members free.
@pittriversmuseum.bsky.socialDiscover the inspirational qualities of the ancient tradition of Bojagi (Korean wrapping cloths) & piece together your own gift-wrapping cloth using traditional Korean silk fabrics in our special Bojagi Workshop. Sat 14 Nov, 10-4.30. £100/£80 (incl. materials, lunch & refreshments).
@pittriversmuseum.bsky.socialClothworkers’ Textiles Through the Lens 📷 “Ull er Føroya gull” - “Wool is Faroese Gold”. This 1903 photograph by Nelson Annandale captures a mother and daughter spinning Faroese sheep’s wool, offering a glimpse into the Faroe Island’s enduring wool and knitting traditions. 🐑🧶
@pittriversmuseum.bsky.socialLearn more about the process of lost wax casting and the making of the 21st Century Benin Bronze (ámà) made by Phil Omodamwen and now on display in the museum, in this video 'Making Looting of the Ọ́bá’s Palace in 1897' which was filmed at Phil's workshop in Nigeria.
@pittriversmuseum.bsky.socialWhat happens behind the scenes at the Pitt Rivers Museum? In her blog, Emily Browne shares her experience interning with the Collections team, including conserving textiles, cataloguing South Sudanese objects & preparing a display mannequin for an upcoming exhibition.
@pittriversmuseum.bsky.socialToday’s Clothworkers Detail of the Day - 'asherah nauak', a richly embroidered bridal tunic from Siwa Oasis, Egypt. It is embroidered with motifs in a sun-ray pattern, alongside mother-of-pearl 'eye of the sun' buttons which are symbols of fertility and protection☀️
