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Japanese lacquerware smoking cabinet, Portable cabinets to hold pipe smoking accessories were common in Japanese homes and shops in the 19th century. Fitted with three drawers, this example is decorated on all four sides with auspicious symbols and domestic scenes. The containers on top were probably intended to hold ash and coals used for lighting the tobacco.

Possible fragment of waka. One perforation hole drilled from two sides. Burnt at one end around a possible second perforation. Flat on top and slight curve. White clay remains on article.

Cut pile embroidered raffia cloth., These textiles are made by the Kuba people of the Kasai river area of Central Zaire. A plain weave raffia fabric was woven by the men and embroidered by the women with great accuracy and skill. The fine lines of the design are stitched with dyed raffia and the pile areas are stitched with groups of fine raffia fibres which are then cut to short even lengths. The abstract designs are often similar to wood carvings, house decorations and the ritual body scars of both men and women. These cloths display wealth and prestige on ceremonial occasions. They assume great importance at funerals where they reaffirm enduring social relationships and, as burial cloths, indicate adherence to belief in after life.

These arrows and quiver were used with a blowpipe for hunting.

The canine teeth of the Clouded leopard, native to Sarawak, were highly prized by the Iban., They were often fashioned into men’s ear ornaments such as this beaded ear ornament. The skins of the Clouded leopard were used as ceremonial coats and seating mats. Today, the Clouded leopard is listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as its numbers have declined due to hunting and illegal poaching.

Broken kahawai lure, in two pieces. Two knobs on head of the shank. There is a curved point with an internal barb, and a notch on the external side of the base attached to the paua shell shank by muka.

A model of a hoe (waka paddle). Light brown wood. Handle is worked smooth with a round cross-section. A knob on the butt of the handle is carved with a simple human face, with eyebrows, eyes, nose and mouth depicted. Blade of the paddle is oblong with a lenticular cross-section; broken at the distal end. Blade is carved on front and back with a pattern of horizontal and vertical grooves.

Wooden tiwha (plug) for repairing holes in pōhā (kelp bags). Square shape with rounded corners and a square cross-section. Surface is worked smooth and flat. Grooved around the perimeter.

Complete kaitaka patea cloak. Woven from muka (flax fibre) with horizontal aho (wefts). Narrow wool taniko borders on the side edges and a broad border on the bottom. Taniko is woven in black and white chevron and diamond pattern, with triangles in red, pink, green, and blue; faded throughout. The body of the cloak and the top border are undecorated.

Lidded container of bark

The papyrus reed which grows in the Nile marshes of Egypt was used by ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans to form a type of paper by laying thin strips over each other and pressing them. If the manuscript was of any length, a number of papyrus sheets were attached to form a long roll., Thebes, Ptolemaic Period.

Three gods in one. The figure represents three gods in one: Ptah - the creator of the world; Socharis (or Seker) - the god of death or the under world; Osiris (or Asar) - the god through whom all people obtained life in the underworld. This wooden figure was originally gilded. The stand was hollowed out to contain a prayer written on a piece of papyrus. In a hole on the figure was placed a small portion of the deceased's body. So long as this body portion remained intact the body lying in the tomb would be assured of everlasting life. The figure was placed in the tomb with the coffin.

Broken ribbonwood piupiu. A section of proper left tags missing. The tags have been arranged in alternating vertical lines of undyed and dyed (red and dark purple) bands. These tags are accompanied by four 3 ply whiri (plaits). The proper left whiri is missing. The whiri are dyed red and purple, with one whenu (strand) left undyed. The waistband is approximately 7cm wide with three weft weaves. The front of the waistband has been covered with a decorative twill (diagonal weave). The waistband has a decorative edging at the top, attached using cotton thread. At each end of the waistband a 4 ply whiri extension of different fibre has been attached. One detached tag accompanies the garment.

Complete kahu kiwi (Kiwi feather cloak). Worked in single pair twine, shaped in middle, with a kiwi feather border, all sides but more narrow along the top, and there are single kiwi feather tags throughout the centre, like polka dots, There is brown twine above the bottom kiwi feather border.There are two purple ties that end in tassels at the top edge of the kahu kiwi, approximately 6cm from each side.