Pitt Rivers Museum

In many Islamic cultures, particularly in Yemen, bridal jewellery was part of the marriage contract, a form of portable wealth legally owned by the bride. It could be worn, sold, or melted down in times of need. Read our blog 'Portable Wealth, Wearable Memory' about a Yemeni labbeh.

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Butterflies are significant across Chinese communities, traditionally symbolising love, longevity, creation & freedom. The Clothworkers had a joyful time photographing these beautiful butterflies on Bai and Han textiles. Feeling inspired? Book now for our Bai Embroidery workshop!

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Book now for next week's embroidery workshop inspired by the Bai aprons from Yunnan, China in the museum. The workshop is led by Yiran Duan, founder of Yi Crafts, dedicated to preserving & sharing traditional craftsmanship from China's ethnic minority communities. Sat 14 March. £85.

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Follow this thread to read more about the amazing A Century of Sound: Live event last week and see more highlights online at:

citiesandmemory.com/2026/03/a-ce...

In November 2024 Pitt Rivers Museum returned a Badeng sunhat to the Kenyah Badeng community in Sarawak, Borneo. Inspired by this return, the inaugural Sa'ung Weaving Competition challenged weavers to make replicas, seen being unpacked here, which will appear in a new exhibition in Sarawak.

Don't miss the beautifully sculptural Hulu Nēnē dress by Hawaiian fashion designer, Manaola Yap, on display until 30 May. The name refers to the pattern - hulu means feather & nēne is the Hawaiian goose, whilst the pleats & spiralling of the skirt represent the ‘ie‘ie, a native Hawaiian plant.

The Clothworkers’ Team recently condition checked & photographed 15 Tibetan thangkas. The hand-painted Buddhist devotional works are mounted on silk brocade with delicate protective covers. As we prepare for our new textile store, we are carefully considering all conservation & cultural care needs.

Tonight! Live! Sold out! We’re livestreaming the launch event for the Century of Sounds launch event @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social - so tune in and join us via the link in our bio! 📺

The livestream runs from 6.30pm - 9.00pm UK time tonight (27 February): citiesandmemory.com/2026/02/cent...

Today’s Century of Sounds highlight is a moving piece called “Nothing changes (a begging I will go)” by Rebecca Denniff, which you can experience live at our launch event tomorrow, or via the livestream. We can’t wait to hear it @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social! citiesandmemory.com/2026/02/cent...

Fringed with ancient and modern coins, this ceremonial Palestinian woman's marriage cap was part of a bride's dowry, with the number of coins & their value being an indication of wealth & status. Made by female artisans, the shape, embroidery and coins varied from region to region. Donated in 1952.

Rosie Leech has been sewing since she was 6 and took up darning a few years ago, when her favourite jumper went into holes. She is now a freelance darner, making a feature out of the mends themselves. Book now for Rosie's Visible Mending Workshop on Sun 19 April, 11.00-13.00. £40/£32

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Century of Sounds: the album is out now! This free/pay-what-you-like album brings together some of the highlights from our partnership with @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social, bringing together musical styles from all over the world: citiesandmemory.bandcamp.com/album/a-cent...

Launching today! 🎉 A Century of Sounds, a unique partnership between Cities & Memory and @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social, inviting listeners to explore compositions created by 100 artists from a century of incredible recordings from the museum’s sound collections. citiesandmemory.com/century-sounds

The workshop is coming up on 14 March, the day before Mother’s Day. Yiran came to view embroidery in the collections as preparation for the workshop.

The Clothworkers’ Team were delighted to welcome Yiran from Yi Crafts to explore our textile collections in search of inspiration for her embroidery workshop at the Museum on 14 March. We fell in love with these beautiful Bai flowers—perfect for celebrating the arrival of spring & Mother’s Day 🌸

Launching on Monday! 100 years of incredible ethnographic recordings from @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social's extraordinary sound collections, reimagined into brand new compositions by sound artists, musicians, composers, poets and producers from all over the world.

TODAY More fun and games on the balcony this afternoon! Come along and make and play your own game, using recycled materials. Free, drop-in activities, 1-4pm. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

TODAY Come and play games from across the world with us and make your own game from recycled materials! Free half-term family fun, 1-4pm in the galleries today.

No booking required. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

Due to high demand for our recent Tassel Making Workshop with Elizabeth Ashdown, we are rerunning this workshop in October. Tickets are now available on our website, so book early to avoid disappointment! Sat 31 Oct, 10.00-16.30. Tickets: £120 (Members £96), includes lunch and refreshments.

A St Valentine's key amulet purchased in 1931 in Padua, Italy. Popularly recognised as the patron saint of love and marriage, Valentine was a Roman priest who was caught marrying couples and who was martyred for refusing to give up his Christian faith. He was executed on 14 February AD 269.

A white long-sleeved shirt with two vertical rows of red embroidered flowers on the yoke, a matching band of embroidered flowers at the top of both sleeves and single embroidered red roses dotted on the sleeves.

Vyshyvanka is a traditional Ukrainian embroidered linen shirt that is part of the national folk costume. The embroidery is a vibrant cultural tradition reflecting the history, beliefs and identity of the Ukrainian people, with each region having its own patterns, colours and symbols.

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MEMBERS EXCLUSIVE Sign up for our behind the scenes visit to the Conservation Lab & see what the team are currently working on - possibly a unique Hawaiian barkcloth dress, a dance costume from Manipur, plus objects & textiles being moved between stores. 12 Feb, 10-11 or 11.30-12.30. bit.ly/3LuvY8v

In early Islam, people counted their dhikr (remembrance of God) using their fingers or small stones. By the 8th century, prayer beads called misbaha were widely used. Rather than digital counters, many people still love the feel of beads, with misbaha made from beautiful stones like agate & coral.

TODAY Enjoy a flashmob performance combining live music, dance & creative improvisation performed by MuMo Creative & their Dance for Parkinson's and Dance for Joy groups. Everyone is welcome to join in or just view from the sidelines! Sat 7 Feb 11.00 & 12.00 in the galleries. Free, all welcome.

Produce a heartfelt handmade gift for Mother's Day in our Bai Embroidery workshop where you'll learn basic Bai embroidery techniques, explore the cultural meaning behind traditional motifs & stitch your own Bai flower or butterfly design. Sun 14 Mar 10-1pm or 2-5pm. £85 (Members £68). bit.ly/3Y4Inmb

The 'With These Hands' trail features plaster casts which reproduce artefacts from the Mohenjo-daro ruins, one of the great cities of the Indus Valley Civilization (3000-2500 BC). Sold as cultural souvenirs, these casts connect modern makers with disappearing histories.This seal was donated in 1955.

New blog post - 'In the Absence of the Dancer'. The Clothworkers’ Team was privileged to learn from visiting researcher Dr Debanjali Biswas, whose work highlights the missing dancers of the Meitei community, Manipur, India within the Museum’s costume collection.

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Experience a synergy of sound, movement & creativity in a flashmob performance co-created by MuMo Creative & their Dance for Parkinson's & Dance for Joy groups. Inspired by the collections, the performance combines live music, dance & creative improvisation. Sat 7 Feb, 11.00 & 12.00. bit.ly/49OwKGJ

This Saturday we will be opening at 9am for a Relaxed Morning Opening so visitors who may struggle in the museums at peak times can enjoy the galleries while the buildings are quiet. The number of visitors is capped to reduce noise levels, so booking is required. Sat 31 Jan, 9-10am.

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Look out for sledges, both full-size and model ones, along with Arctic clothing, snowshoes, ice skates and paintings on seal skin on our Wonderful Winter Family Trail available in the Museum until Friday 30 January.

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