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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 8h

Discover 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

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 17h

Join 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. tinyurl.com/3mxr4f3h

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Opening 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

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Clothworker’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.

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

The 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.

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Gakkeido, 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

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

We 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. www.prm.ox.ac.uk/press

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

A 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. bit.ly/4gauF9Z

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Discover 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). bit.ly/3Y5UfnY

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Clothworkers’ 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. 🐑🧶

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Learn 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. www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZLf...

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

What 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. pittrivers-object.blogspot.com

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Today’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☀️

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

"While we cannot undo the past, we can learn from it." - Rev. Dr Ellen Konyak Jamir, Coordinator for Recover, Restore and Decolonise. Marking the culmination of a Naga-led process of dialogue & reconciliation, begun in 2020, 39 Naga ancestors are finally returning home. www.prm.ox.ac.uk/a-path-home

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

“Repatriation, for the Nagas, is not simply about bones and ancestral remains finding their way back to the land… it is about memory returning to where it belongs.” - Recover, Restore and Decolonise (RRaD) www.morungexpress.com/british-muse...

morungexpress.com

British museum to return Naga human remains

Human remains allegedly taken away by colonial administrators as oriental curiosities will now be returned to the source community. The Pitt Rivers Museum (PRM), University of Oxford, United Kingdom, ...

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

This glass bottle, collected in 1915 in Sussex, is said to contain a witch who, if released, would unleash 'a peck o'trouble'. Book now for the launch of Kate Wiseman's new book, in which the unfortunate Egg finds herself trapped in the bottle. Thurs 29 Oct, 5-6.30pm. £5/£3. tinyurl.com/32v6ax9r

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Textiles through the lens 📸 Olympos, Karpathos, is renowned for its richly embroidered costume and gold coin necklaces (kolaina), symbols of youth, fertility, renewal and wealth. An unnamed girl photographed by Sheila Paine during Easter celebrations, 1996.

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

In 1932 a 16 year-old Naga girl called Gaidinliu was arrested in NE India after weeks on the run from the British army, as the authorities believed she had instigated an uprising against them. She was imprisoned and her personal possessions were seized & sent to Pitt Rivers Museum... bit.ly/4czzskv

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Mano cornuta, or ‘horned hand’ amulets are thought to be of ancient Italian origin & are worn as protection against the harmful glance of the Evil Eye. This tiny red coral mani cornute is from Corsica. Book now for our next Witchcraft, Amulets & Magic tour, Wed 16 Sept. 2-3pm. £8. bit.ly/4gauF9Z

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

VIN + OMI are an award-winning British design duo known for pioneering work combining creativity, environmental responsibility & social engagement. View one of the dresses from the 2025 Dysphoriana collection made from recycled plastic-derived fabrics on display in the ground floor. bit.ly/3T084W3

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Textiles through the lens 📷 Collected by Sir Arthur J. Evans in 1873, these photographs capture Sámi dress from across Sápmi. The women wear the distinctive ládjogahpir ('horn hat'), its striking shape created by a hidden wooden fierra beneath the richly decorated bonnet.

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

A small box containing dried pellets of a 'paste containing alum, vitriol, sulphur, arsenic, sulphate of copper, cuttle-bone and bones mixed with ashes of various substances. Mixed with petroleum & rice-water for applying to a goitre after it has been lanced'. Collected in Myanmar (Burma) in 1936.

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Textiles through the lens. This striking 1989 portrait by Pascal Marechaux and Jenny Balfour Paul shows a woman in Yemen wearing an iridescent indigo-dyed dress and headscarf. Though her name was not recorded, her portrait celebrates the beauty and artistry of indigo textiles.

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Join author Kate Wiseman in the galleries for the launch of her new book The Witch Bottle, inspired by our very own witch in a bottle! Find out more about Egg and her museum adventures in a special Q&A. Thurs 29 Oct, 5-6.30pm. Tickets: £3/£5 for families. bit.ly/4g52k4L

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Come behind the scenes to view highlights of the photo archives, learn about current digital projects & hear about key figures in the history of the Museum. Sat 12 September, 11.00 or 14.00. Free but booking required due to limited places. Part of the Oxford Open Doors programme. bit.ly/3Uffe94

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

This throwing knife, or kpinga, is from the Azande people in South Sudan and has 3 projecting blades set at different angles which multiplied the chances of hitting the target. These weapons had strong cultural significance, marking out professional warriors from other male members of the community.

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Tickets now available for our next Witchcraft, Amulets & Magic tour, exploring why magic and witchcraft still have an enduring fascination across different cultures and ages. Wednesday 16 September, 2-3pm. £8/Members free. bit.ly/4gauF9Z

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

A drawer of wooden spoons with original handwritten label: 'Series of Russian peasants spoons from Moscow, showing variations by gradual conventionalization of a design originally representing the city of Moscow. The degradation of design is mainly due to careless successive copying.' Donated 1907.

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Indigo journeys 💙 The Clothworkers’ team is highlighting this beautiful indigo-dyed uchikui from Naha, Okinawa, used to wrap gifts and in tea ceremonies. Decorated with the Matsu-Take-Ume motif using nori-zome rice-paste resist dyeing, it symbolises resilience, good fortune and longevity.

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Tucked into one of the first floor cases, an unconventional candlestick made from an eagle's foot. Collected in Norway by Henry Balfour and donated to the Museum in 1932.

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

TOMORROW Join us for an Oxfordshire Play Space event on the Museum Lawn with sensory play, educational activities & more. Co-hosted with Oxford Play Association & Oxfordshire County Council, these events provide a supportive environment while your little ones play. 11.00-15.00. bit.ly/4ganbng

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Detail of the Day🧵This 'baju empurau' protective jacket, made by the Iban people of Sarawak, is crafted from barkcloth & covered with 'Tor tambroides' (empurau fish) scales, stitched with rattan fibre to create a flexible protective layer - a remarkable example of resourceful textile craftsmanship.

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

THURSDAY 13 AUGUST Please note that due to the extremely hot temperatures forecast for tomorrow, the Art Challenge activity in the afternoon has been cancelled. The activity should run as scheduled next Wednesday and Thursday.

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Give your brain a bit of a challenge - one of the Art Cards on the Inspiration Station asks you to pick an object and then draw it with your other hand (it may look a bit wonky but that's part of the fun!). Today & tomorrow, 12-3pm on the Clore Balcony. Suitable for all ages. bit.ly/4fSsVCd

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

A drawer of amulets and charms against the Evil Eye, with silver acorns and seahorses, silk arrowheads and synthetic garlic bulbs, coral claws and painted saints, slender articulated fish and fancy feathers to avert the evil gaze and protect the anxious owner...

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

This small pottery vessel was excavated from Nal in the Indus Valley (in present day Pakistan) and dates to around 2500BC. It is assumed to be an oil lamp with the corners holding wicks. Potters in the Indus Valley were using a wheel to produce vessels several thousand years before those in Britain.

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Detail of the Day🧵 As The Clothworkers’ team unpacks the textile collection into the new CTRC storage facility, we're taking a closer look at the pieces we encounter. Today's highlight is an Iranian cotton gauze shawl with colourful wool embroidery, sequins and delicate lace edging.

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Studio portrait of Makereti, circa 1926, demonstrating weaving techniques, showing how a korowai (dress cloak) is woven from the bottom upwards. The partly made cloaks in the image are now in the museum collections. The book 'Intrepid Women', featuring Makereti, is on sale in the Museum shop.

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

The Inspiration Station will be on the Balcony from 12-3pm today, so pop in, pick up an Art Card & choose your challenge - Spot the Pattern 🤩, Memory Museum 🤔 World of Colour 🌈, Draw without Looking 🫣(or with your other 🫲) and more... Suitable for any age - all welcome! bit.ly/4fSsVCd

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Take a line for a walk as one of today's Art Card Challenges! Pick an object and then draw it without taking your pencil off the paper - it's trickier than it sounds! Free drop-in activity every Wednesday & Thursday from 12-3pm in the summer holidays. All welcome.

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Detail of the Day🧵 As the Clothworkers’ team unpack the textile collection at the new CTRC, we're sharing highlights along the way. Today's detail is a sampler stitched by Mary Taylor, aged 9, in 1810. In the piece Mary practises her stitches to create the alphabet, flowers, a house, birds & people.

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

An orderly drawer of ceramic birds and animals seemingly oblivious of a couple of plastic impostors in their midst - two bright yellow warbling bird whistles ready to disturb the peace if you 'Fill with water and then blow!'...

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Follow the process of lost wax casting in A 21st Century Benin Bronze with the clay core covered with layers of beeswax, clay & wire. When heated, the wax melts, allowing molten bronze to fill the cavity. Once cooled, the casing is removed & the final piece is finished & polished. bit.ly/4pcL5D0

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Our next Relaxed Morning Opening will take place on Friday 21 August, when we open an hour early to welcome visitors who may struggle in the museums at peak times. Visitors numbers are capped to reduce noise, so booking is required. Family members are welcome to support. go.glam.ox.ac.uk/1Eb6aiCqT

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Enjoy our organised art activities or just be inspired by the galleries and collections to make your own artwork...

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Find a world of colour in today's Summer Art Challenge! When you first see the Museum, it might look a bit brown but look closer and you'll see that it's actually full of colour, so pick a colour and go hunting for objects that match your chosen colour... Free drop-in activity, Weds & Thurs 12-3pm.

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

In Mesoamerica, women used metates (grinding stones) of volcanic rock for food preparation. A pestle-like tool was worked back and forth, processing domesticated maize and seeds into a paste. The earliest known metates made in stylised animal forms like this one date to around 800AD. 1884.10.26

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Pitt Rivers Museum @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

💙 Recently rehoused in the Museum’s new collection store, this magnificent Hausa riga from Nigeria. Traditionally worn for ceremonial occasions, its richly embroidered motifs symbolise protection, strength and faith. Collected by Dr M.D.W. Jeffreys, it entered the Pitt Rivers Museum in 1942.

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