Portraits are powerful objects. In addition to forming a visual record of an individual’s likeness, they frequently provide a glimpse into the sitter’s social status, aspirations, material wealth, and the context in which they lived out their lives. They not only represent reality, but often what the artist or sitter…
Read MoreSea grass basket fragments made of rush and palmetto, late 18th century, recovered from the Heyward-Washington House privy. Archaeological studies are built on the identification and quantification of groups of artifacts. The Museum’s archaeological collections alone include over two million fragments. Charleston sites, in particular, produce large assemblages of material,…
Read MoreGold pocket watch, 1797, with pearl and green enamel embellishments attached to a gold chain fob with seals and a watch key. Created by Lépine in Paris, France, and gifted to Eliza Izard (1784-1862) of Charleston. From the collections of The Charleston Museum, HQ 184. When Mary Stead Pinckney…
Read MoreThe centerpiece of our Early Days exhibit is the mummified remains of a woman from Egypt, dating to the Late Period or Ptolemaic Period (ca. 700-300 BCE). Gabriel Manigault, the museum’s curator from 1873 to 1899 who wanted to acquaint Charlestonians with “any and everything illustrating the extinct civilizations of…
Read MorePelagornis sandersi, a giant bird that was discovered from an excavation at the Charleston Airport. Pelagornis belongs to a group of birds known as pseudodontorns, or false-toothed birds. This relates to the toothy structures on Pelagornis’ beak. Although they appear to be teeth, and serve the same function, they are…
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