The form and function of an object may change due to reinterpretation or research, or to actual transformation. This may result in a change in nomenclature. For instance, mineral pseudomorphs are specimens manifesting a change in form. Discoveries through research, provenance, and updated attributions can provide examples of a change in the understanding of an object’s function. One of the most rewarding activities in studying collections of all kinds is uncovering new evidence in identifying the true nature of a specimen or object.
Tektites
Indo-China
2 x 1 1/2 inches (of the largest tektite)
Gift of Alvin B. Stiles
Tektites were thought to be of extraterrestrial origin until very recently. University of Delaware professor Dr. Billy Glass was instrumental in the discovery that tektites are, in fact, glass formed by the melting and rapid cooling of terrestrial rocks, which were vaporized by the impact of meteorites, comets, or asteroids on the earth’s surface.
Calcite in shell
Virginia Beach, Virginia
3 x 3 1/2 x 3 inches
The “dogtooth” (or scalenohedral) calcite crystals grew inside the fossil mercenaria clam shell, long after the formation of the fossil. These are found in areas from Virginia to Florida, known to have once been beach edges.
Unknown Maker
Country Unknown
Fisherman’s Fid, 18th-19th century
Whalebone, 15 5/8 x 1 3/8 inches
Gift of Mr. Alan Gerdau
This object was presented to the collection as a Maori War Club. In doing provenance research, this object bore no similarity to a Maori club, scepter, or any other indigenous device. However, it is likely that this was found in the South Seas and was probably purchased in New Zealand. In fact, this object is called a fisherman’s fid, a hook used to repair rope nets. These fids were typically made of whalebone, a by-product of the commercial whaling industry. These were seldom seen after the mid-19th century, due to whaling restrictions and changes in the nets used.
Quartz
China
2 ½ x 4 ½ x 1 ½ inches
Gift of Michael C. Hughes and Anneve Yarr
The specimen of quartz was originally a natural white or transparent crystal group. It has been dyed green, and small, brilliant, clear quartz crystals have been synthetically grown onto the original quartz. These specimens are currently produced in China and the sophisticated technology to produce such crystals involves very high heat and pressure. These specimens are beautiful, but unfortunately, they are mostly sold and represented as completely natural.
Calcite enclosing sand
Seine-et-Marne, Fontainebleau, France
3 x 4 x 2 1/2 inches
Gift of Philip G. Rust
As the calcite crystals grew, they incorporated sand into their structure, sometimes containing up to fifty percent sand. Sand-included calcite is rare, occurring at this locality in France and at Rattlesnake Butte in South Dakota. Found in a cave in the forest, which was being mined for sandstone, these strange groups of crystals were described and shown in an auction catalog in 1778. The mine later closed and was forgotten. Rediscovered in 1850, it attracted mineral collectors until 1891, when the town filled the cave with sand and fenced it in. Steel bars now protect “Grotte aux Cristaux” but visitors can see some cave walls covered with the sand calcite crystals. The famous mirrors of Versailles and the glass of the I. M. Pei pyramid of the Louvre were made from the quartz sands from the Fontainebleau quarries.
Unknown Yup’ik Artist
Alaska or Northwest North America
Mother and Child, early to mid-20th century
2 x 1 1/4 x 1 5/8 inches
Gift of Dr. & Mrs. Willi Riese
This small figure, variously identified in the collection over the years as an amulet, piece of jewelry, or talisman, has remained a mystery. Adding to the intrigue were two rounded protruding pieces on the bottom, indicating it is a part of a larger whole. It was not until 2001, with the subsequent gift of several Yup’ik baskets from Mabel and Harley McKeague, that the mystery was solved; the figure is a toggle, or knob, that fits on the lid of a basket, a common decorative element.
Unknown Artist
Huancayo, Andes, Peru
Tupu/Topo, 19th-20th century
Nickel/silver alloy, blue stone, 8 7/8 x 2 1/4 inches
Gift of Dr. & Mrs. Russell J. Seibert
This object is a tupu or Topo, a Quechua term for pin. It is made of repoussé silver with high nickel content, probably manufactured from coins. Women in the Andes use these pins to fasten their garments. They typically wear two tupus, their heads pointed downward, to fasten the acsu or anacu, a rectangular textile (dress) made of camelid wool (alpaca or vicuña) that wraps around the body. The donor had identified the object as a Topo. However, in intake cataloguing by another department, a descriptive title of “Ritual Spoon” was adopted. The records were revised when the original inventory lists came to the museum in the 1990s.
Pyritized brachiopod
Sylvania, Ohio
2 x 2 x 1 inches
Over time, the mineral pyrite has, atom by atom, completely replaced the calcium carbonate shell of this ancient brachiopod. Brachiopods, similar to mollusks, were abundant in the early history of the earth, although few species remain today.
Unknown Baga Carver
Guinea, Africa
Anok/Elek, 19th-early 20th century
Wood, 34 3/8 x 3 5/8 x 20 1/2 inches (including base)
Gift of William C. Lickle
Anok sculptures, also called Elek, are bird-shaped heads with human features. These sculptures were used during the harvest to protect the communities’ food from evil spirits. They are also used during funeral processions, protecting spirits and ushering the ancestors safely into the afterlife. The Anok is kept as an important shrine found in many Baga households. Upon entering the collection separately, the base was identified as a Yoruba scepter, and the avian head was properly named as an Anok. Research has corrected the Yoruban attribution, and the two pieces are now appropriately joined.
Agatized coral
Tampa Bay, Hillsborough County, Florida
4 x 5 x 2 inches
This specimen of agatized coral began as a live coral colony composed of calcium carbonate. After it died the coral was replaced by microscopic quartz, called chalcedony, in a process that is estimated to have taken 20 to 30 million years. There are several localities where agatized coral is found in Florida and it has been named the Florida state rock.
Iron (Youndegin) Meteorite (octahedrite)
Found in Youndegin, Australia
4 x 13 x 1/2 inches
Estate of Irénée du Pont
Not until the early 1800s was the extraterrestrial origin of meteorites determined; before that, they were thought to be scrap metal or iron minerals. This cut and polished slice of a larger three-ton meteorite was purchased by Irénée du Pont from Ward’s Natural Science Establishment in 1924. The first portion of this meteorite fall was discovered in an unpopulated area in Australia, January 5, 1884, and named for a nearby police station. Portions were sent to England as scrap metal but were identified as meteorites by scientists at the British Museum, where they reside today. The intricate pattern shown on the surface is called “Widmanstatten” structure and is formed by the interweaving of nickel-rich and nickel-poor iron zones in some types of meteorites.
Cuprite
Onganja Mine, Windhoek District, Khomas Region, Namibia
1 1/2 x 2 x 1 1/4 inches
The specimen appears to be a large single crystal of malachite. However, malachite crystals of this size are unknown, and the crystal form is not possible in malachite. This is a single octahedral crystal of the mineral cuprite with a thin coating of malachite. Although Onganja is the site of early copper mining dating back to the 17th century, large-scale mining began only in 1960. In 1973 the largest cuprite crystals ever discovered were found underground, all partially or completely coated in malachite. The discovery of these amazing crystals contributed to the demise of the mine as the miners searched for these valuable specimens instead of mining for copper.
Prehnite after Laumontite
Mumbai, District, Maharashtra, India
4 x 5 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches
This specimen of prehnite is a pseudomorph, or “false form,” as the original mineral was laumontite, which was later coated by prehnite. The original white laumontite then completely dissolved, leaving the outer hollow framework of pale green prehnite.
Unknown Artist(s)
Padua, Italy (tree); possibly Germany (figure)
Saint Sebastian, 19th century (tree); 15th-17th century (figure)
Bronze, 5 1/2 x 2 x 1 1/2 inches
Gift of Mr. Alan Gerdau
This enigmatic sculpture of Saint Sebastian against a tree has puzzled university researchers over the years. It was quickly noted that the tree was made in Italy, and the donor likely purchased this ensemble in Padua. The figure, posed with the arms extended above the head, has a looser and slightly more blocky form than is common in Italian bronzes and paintings of the subject. It bears more of a resemblance to German depictions of Saint Sebastian.
Unknown Artist
Thailand
Monkey Palad Khik, late 19th-early 20th century
Brass, 4 1/8 x 7/8 x 3 inches
Gift of Mr. & Mrs. Samuel Eilenberg
This object was formerly identified as an “Animal on a Sled.” Subsequent research indicates it is likely an amulet widely worn by both men and women in Thailand, called a Palad Khik. The Palad Khik, a phallic representation of the deity Shiva, is also an animistic symbol of fertility, often protected by the sacred monkey. In this object, the monkey is similar in style to the golden crowned monkeys at the royal palace in Thailand. Thais place a great deal of importance on such talismans, wearing them at the waist beneath their clothing, assuring the wearer of power and increased fecundity.
