The armillary sphere in Montrose Park on R Street NW in Georgetown was vandalized earlier this summer, harkening back to 50 years ago. While the sphere — a model of the heavens with roots in ancient Greece and China — …
Through their 3,000-year history, buttons evolved from being merely fasteners connecting through a loop of thread to, for a time, miniature works of art.
Ornate buttoning became fashionable among Europe’s wealthy citizens during the 13th century. In 1250, the first …
Picture a romantic, snowy evening: fireside, burning logs, shining brass firedogs and a hot iron trivet on the hearth. But, you may ask, what, exactly, is the trivet in that picture?
Simply put, a trivet is a metal stand that …
Wherever the first Windsor chair came from, in the 18th-century American colonies it became known as the “democratic chair” of the independent American nation. The legend about its beginnings has it that King George II, seeking shelter from a storm,
The Washington Winter Show — benefiting THEARC, the Bishop John T. Walker School for Boys and the Founders Board of St. John’s Community Services — returned to American University’s Katzen Arts Center from Thursday, Jan. 10, preview night, to Sunday, …
The smallest object can reveal a story, if the person handling the item knows how to decipher the past.
Jennifer Porter-Lupu, a doctoral student in anthropology at Northwestern University, is trying to do just that when it comes to the …
In 18th- and 19th-century America, samplers were used as an educational tool for girls from all social backgrounds, but the function of the finished product would differ.
The proud parents of a girl from an affluent family might put her
From around the 1830s through the 1920s, almost everyone carried the newfangled “strike anywhere” matches to light lanterns, stoves and candles. Proceeded by old-fashioned wood splints — which were dipped into melted sulphur and primarily used to light candles after …
Bonhams
Gilt Copper Alloy Shakyamuni Buddha Figure
Khasa Malla, 13th–14th c.
Estimate: $1.2 million – $1.6 million
Auction Date: March 19
Part of Bonhams’ Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian Art sale, this Buddha is one of the …
Peddlers hold a special place in early American culture. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, when there were few stores around, the peddler, with his horse and buggy, became a common sight across the United States.
Most rural towns …