Religion

Page from the Koran

One hallmark of the American experience captured in the Museum's collections is the nation's broad diversity of religious faiths. Artifacts range from Thomas Jefferson's Bible to a huge "Sunstone" sculpture carved for a Mormon temple in Illinois in 1844 to a household shrine from the home of a Pueblo Indian in the 1990s. Furniture, musical instruments, clothing, cooking ware, and thousands of prints and figures in the collections have all played roles in the religious lives of Americans. The most comprehensive collections include artifacts from Jewish and Christian European Americans, Catholic Latinos, Protestant Arab Americans, Buddhist and Christian Asian Pacific Americans, and Protestant African Americans. One notable group is the Vidal Collection of carved figures known as santos and other folk religious material from the practice of Santeria in Puerto Rico.

prayer card

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1954
ID Number
1998.0311.01
accession number
1998.0311
catalog number
1998.0311.01

Shepherd

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
1997.0401.09
accession number
1997.0401
catalog number
1997.0401.09

Joseph

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
1997.0401.01
accession number
1997.0401
catalog number
1997.0401.01

Welcome God to America's Bicentennial

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1976
ID Number
1998.0349.12
accession number
1998.0349
catalog number
1998.0349.12

Mourners at Jerry Brown's funeral

Mourners at Jerry Brown's funeral, St. John Baptist Church, Oliver, Georgia, October 1976.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Mourners at Jerry Brown's funeral, St. John Baptist Church, Oliver, Georgia, October 1976.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1976-10
maker
Walker, Diana
ID Number
2003.0250.117
accession number
2003.0250
catalog number
2003.0250.117

San José

This figure of Saint Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus Christ, was carved by Genaro Rivera in the town of Morovis at the turn of the 20th century.
Description
This figure of Saint Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus Christ, was carved by Genaro Rivera in the town of Morovis at the turn of the 20th century. Several of the milagros attached to this saint are in the shape of legs.
Description (Spanish)
Esta figura, tallada por Genaro Rivera al rededor de 1900 en el pueblo de Morovis, representa a San José, el padre terrenal de Jesucristo. Se pueden observar varios milagros en forma de piernas adheridos al santo.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1861-12-10-1941-12-14
maker
Rivera Aviles, Genaro
ID Number
1997.0097.0619
accession number
1997.0097
catalog number
1997.0097.0619

medal

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
1997.0401.56
accession number
1997.0401
catalog number
1997.0401.56

Treasure Chest

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1961
ID Number
1997.0223.03
accession number
1997.0223
catalog number
1997.0223.03

San Sebastián

Saint Sebastian was an early Christian martyr who, according to legend, was tied to a tree, shot with arrows, and left for dead. He not only recovered, but returned to preaching Christianity. For this, the Roman emperor Diocletian ordered him beaten to death.
Description
Saint Sebastian was an early Christian martyr who, according to legend, was tied to a tree, shot with arrows, and left for dead. He not only recovered, but returned to preaching Christianity. For this, the Roman emperor Diocletian ordered him beaten to death. He is almost always represented tied to a post and shot with arrows, thus making him instantly recognizable.
Description (Spanish)
San Sebastián fue un antiguo mártir cristiano, a quien según cuenta la leyenda, amarraron a un árbol, dispararon flechas y abandonaron dándolo por muerto. Sin embargo, no solo se recobró sino que regresó a promulgar el cristianismo. Por esta razón, el emperador romano Diocletian ordenó que se lo matara a golpes. Es fácil reconocer su imagen porque casi siempre se lo representa amarrado a un poste con flechas clavadas en el cuerpo.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
late 19th-early 20th century
ID Number
1997.0097.0696
accession number
1997.0097
catalog number
1997.0097.0696

smock

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
designer
Easter, Dana
maker
Easter, Dana
ID Number
2003.0290.03.01
accession number
2003.0290
catalog number
2003.0290.03.01

Wise Man

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
1997.0401.05
accession number
1997.0401
catalog number
1997.0401.05

Shepherd

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
1997.0401.08
accession number
1997.0401
catalog number
1997.0401.08

Unidentified Virgen

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
18th Century
ID Number
1997.0097.0205
accession number
1997.0097
catalog number
1997.0097.0205
collector/donor number
.732

Sabbath Bread Cover

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
1997.0047.01
accession number
1997.0047
catalog number
1997.0047.01

prayer card

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1942
ID Number
1998.0311.03
accession number
1998.0311
catalog number
1998.0311.03

Jerry Brown's coffin being carried from church

Jerry Brown's coffin being carried from church following the funeral, St. John's Baptist Church, Oliver, Georgia, October 1976.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Jerry Brown's coffin being carried from church following the funeral, St. John's Baptist Church, Oliver, Georgia, October 1976.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1976-10
maker
Walker, Diana
ID Number
2003.0250.118
accession number
2003.0250
catalog number
2003.0250.118

Virgen de Monserrate

In Puerto Rican religious tradition, the Virgin of Monserrat made a miraculous appearance in 1599, near the town of Hormigueros.
Description
In Puerto Rican religious tradition, the Virgin of Monserrat made a miraculous appearance in 1599, near the town of Hormigueros. Depicted in a broad range of skin tones, at times in contrast with her son Jesus Christ (missing from her lap in this example), she is one of the most frequently carved santos in Puerto Rico. Represented behind her are the jagged mountains of Catalonia, Spain, the place where the veneration of this particular Madonna originated. This figure, by a member of the Espada group of artisans, dates from the 19th century.
Description (Spanish)
Según la tradición religiosa puertorriqueña, la Virgen de Montserrate apareció milagrosamente en el año 1599 cerca del pueblo de Hormigueros. El color de su piel varía ampliamente en las distintas imágenes en las que aparece representada, a veces en contraste con su hijo Jesús (quien en este ejemplo se halla ausente de su regazo). Se trata de uno de los santos más tallados en Puerto Rico. Detrás de ella se observan las montañas angulosas de Cataluña, España, donde se originó la veneración de esta Madona en particular. Esta figura la talló en el siglo XIX un miembro del grupo de artesanos Espada.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
19th century
maker
Espada Group
ID Number
1997.0097.0648
accession number
1997.0097
catalog number
1997.0097.0648

Prescription Label, Apotheke in Luttringhausen von P.F. Ludorff

The Bristol-Myers Squibb Collection has over two hundred early prescription labels from dozens of apothecaries across Germany and Austria. Early labels were plain and without adornment.
Description (Brief)
The Bristol-Myers Squibb Collection has over two hundred early prescription labels from dozens of apothecaries across Germany and Austria. Early labels were plain and without adornment. Later embellishments included decorative borders, images of animals such as stags, lions, or elephants associated with the name of the apothecary.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
1991.0664.1148
catalog number
1991.0664.1148
accession number
1991.0664

Pawn

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1945
1944-1945
maker
Steinbrenner, Carl
Steinbrenner, Carl
ID Number
1994.0334.28
catalog number
1994.0334.28
accession number
1994.0334

LINEAR PRAYER BOOK

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1905
ID Number
1993.0102.016
catalog number
1993.0102.016
accession number
1993.0102

Pesaro Pitcher

This 18th century pitcher from Pesaro, Italy, has a pinched spout and an applied strap handle with a green glaze. The bottom of the pitcher is marked"T. M.
Description
This 18th century pitcher from Pesaro, Italy, has a pinched spout and an applied strap handle with a green glaze. The bottom of the pitcher is marked"T. M. The image on the jar depicts the Biblical story of the Annunciation, when the Archangel Gabriel told the Virgin Mary she was to give birth to Jesus.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
18th century
ID Number
1991.0664.0581
accession number
1991.0664
catalog number
M-05793
collector/donor number
SAP 505
catalog number
1991.0664.0581

Jesus Our Love

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
associated date
1893-01-28
ID Number
1990.0181.099
catalog number
1990.0181.099
accession number
1990.0181

Nuestra Senora del Camino

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1991
depicted
Nuestra Senora del Camino
maker
Lopez, Jose Ramon
ID Number
1991.0771.01
catalog number
1991.0771.01
accession number
1991.0771

Prescription Label, Zur Hirsch - Apotheke bei C. Schlienkamp

The Bristol-Myers Squibb Collection has over two hundred early prescription labels from dozens of apothecaries across Germany and Austria.Early labels were plain and without adornment.
Description (Brief)
The Bristol-Myers Squibb Collection has over two hundred early prescription labels from dozens of apothecaries across Germany and Austria.
Early labels were plain and without adornment. Later embellishments included decorative borders, images of animals such as stags, lions, or elephants associated with the name of the apothecary.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
1991.0664.1222
catalog number
1991.0664.1222
accession number
1991.0664

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