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Stemming from Jiangyong, in China, a small group of women in the 19th and 20th centuries practiced this special script, called Nüshu, that no man could read or write. The writing system allowed these women to keep autobiographies, write poetry and stories, and communicate with each other

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Stemming from Jiangyong, in China, a small group of women in the 19th and 20th centuries practiced this special script, called Nüshu, that no man could read or write. The writing system allowed these women to keep autobiographies, write poetry and stories, and communicate with each other

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The Cairo Geniza is a collection of some 400,000 manuscript fragments that were kept in the Geniza of the Ben Ezra Synagogue in Egypt. These manuscripts span the entire period of Middle-Eastern, North African, and Andalusian Jewish history between the 6th and 19th centuries CE

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The Cairo Geniza is a collection of some 400,000 manuscript fragments that were kept in the Geniza of the Ben Ezra Synagogue in Egypt. These manuscripts span the entire period of Middle-Eastern, North African, and Andalusian Jewish history between the 6th and 19th centuries CE

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Katana with carved ivory hilt and scabbard. The carving represents in panels groups of men, women, children. Inscription at the bottom of the scabbard. Two clasps for leather strap,japanese,19th century,salar jung museum,hyderabad,india

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Katana with carved ivory hilt and scabbard. The carving represents in panels groups of men, women, children. Inscription at the bottom of the scabbard. Two clasps for leather strap,japanese,19th century,salar jung museum,hyderabad,india

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A scroll of 7 calligraphy pieces by various warlords of Japan from the Kenmu Restoration and slightly earlier, dating from the 13th to 14th century. Each piece is accompanied with an early inscription and seal of appraisal. A rather exciting and very recent acquisition

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A scroll of 7 calligraphy pieces by various warlords of Japan from the Kenmu Restoration and slightly earlier, dating from the 13th to 14th century. Each piece is accompanied with an early inscription and seal of appraisal. A rather exciting and very recent acquisition

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Codex Testeriano Bodmer, a 16th-century Mexican catechism created by Christian missionaries. The book was made to evangelize the indigenous population by using pictographic script, a writing system they were familiar with.Housed at the Fondation Martin Bodmer in Cologny, Switzerland.

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Codex Testeriano Bodmer, a 16th-century Mexican catechism created by Christian missionaries. The book was made to evangelize the indigenous population by using pictographic script, a writing system they were familiar with.Housed at the Fondation Martin Bodmer in Cologny, Switzerland.

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A rather eclectic collection of medieval manuscripts from the 12th to 15th Centuries, recently acquired, all produced in France. There are charters, letters, and several bound records. The oldest piece is an inventory notice dated May 1241, for one Pierre de Castela

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A rather eclectic collection of medieval manuscripts from the 12th to 15th Centuries, recently acquired, all produced in France. There are charters, letters, and several bound records. The oldest piece is an inventory notice dated May 1241, for one Pierre de Castela

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2nd century CE Roman pipe burial from Wales. Within the tomb was a lead canister containing cremated bones and a piece of linen bearing traces of frankincense. Pipe burials are thought to have allowed relatives to pour blood or wine into the container to nourish the soul of the deceased

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2nd century CE Roman pipe burial from Wales. Within the tomb was a lead canister containing cremated bones and a piece of linen bearing traces of frankincense. Pipe burials are thought to have allowed relatives to pour blood or wine into the container to nourish the soul of the deceased

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Pocket sundial from 2nd century AD Rome. Inside, on an axis, was a pointer and 4 discs, each with 2 diagrams on the front and back, showing different polar altitudes. It had to be held so that the sunbeam shone through the slit in the side, and the time could then be read on a scale

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Pocket sundial from 2nd century AD Rome. Inside, on an axis, was a pointer and 4 discs, each with 2 diagrams on the front and back, showing different polar altitudes. It had to be held so that the sunbeam shone through the slit in the side, and the time could then be read on a scale

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This 12th-century CE sock, from Egypt, was knitted from the toe upward to the leg. Its heel was made separately at the end and attached to loops left during leg knitting. This ingenious practice allowed the heel to be replaced when it wore out without the necessity of making new socks

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This 12th-century CE sock, from Egypt, was knitted from the toe upward to the leg. Its heel was made separately at the end and attached to loops left during leg knitting. This ingenious practice allowed the heel to be replaced when it wore out without the necessity of making new socks

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Portrait of a mummified Roman woman. The painting is made with wax on sycamore wood. The artifact dates to 2nd century CE and comes from Roman Egypt.

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Portrait of a mummified Roman woman. The painting is made with wax on sycamore wood. The artifact dates to 2nd century CE and comes from Roman Egypt.

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Wedding ring with Latin inscription on the band: "SELEVCE ET CVRACE VIVAS IN DEO = Seleucus and Kyriace, live in God!" Square seal plate with the facing busts of a married couple. The man's name indicates Syrian origin, the woman's Greek origin. 4th century AD

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Wedding ring with Latin inscription on the band: "SELEVCE ET CVRACE VIVAS IN DEO = Seleucus and Kyriace, live in God!" Square seal plate with the facing busts of a married couple. The man's name indicates Syrian origin, the woman's Greek origin. 4th century AD

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This tombstone, made for a woman named Hyralia, bears a seven-line Coptic inscription within a frame of engraved vines: "Do not grieve, Hyralia; no one is immortal on earth! This is the path of every human being." 9th century AD

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This tombstone, made for a woman named Hyralia, bears a seven-line Coptic inscription within a frame of engraved vines: "Do not grieve, Hyralia; no one is immortal on earth! This is the path of every human being." 9th century AD

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Malachite carving of a luohan sitting under a tree with his assistant, with an incribed poem by the Jiaqing Emperor. China, Qing dynasty, 18th-19th century

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Malachite carving of a luohan sitting under a tree with his assistant, with an incribed poem by the Jiaqing Emperor. China, Qing dynasty, 18th-19th century

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A postcard from the turn of the 20th century; cartoon artwork depicting a woman using a parasol to swat away the stork bringing her a new-born child. The caption reads, "And the villain still pursues her."

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A postcard from the turn of the 20th century; cartoon artwork depicting a woman using a parasol to swat away the stork bringing her a new-born child. The caption reads, "And the villain still pursues her."

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A female mummy with children, from northern Chile. Her head is resting on a child mummy, while another one lies in the woman's lap. 11th-14th century CE

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A female mummy with children, from northern Chile. Her head is resting on a child mummy, while another one lies in the woman's lap. 11th-14th century CE

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A love spell written in Coptic by a man named Abapoulos to attract another man named Flo, son of Mori. According to the spell, Flo will chase Abapoulos from village to village, he won't be able to relax or calm down until he finds Abapoulos and fulfills his desire. 6th–7th century.

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A love spell written in Coptic by a man named Abapoulos to attract another man named Flo, son of Mori. According to the spell, Flo will chase Abapoulos from village to village, he won't be able to relax or calm down until he finds Abapoulos and fulfills his desire. 6th–7th century.

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Tekagami-jo, a "mirror of hands". A collection of exemplary calligraphy from Japan. This album contains examples from the 7th to 18th centuries, with some staggering attributions to Monk Ikkyu, Empress Komyo, Minamoto no Yoritomo and more. There are even a few early paintings as well

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Tekagami-jo, a "mirror of hands". A collection of exemplary calligraphy from Japan. This album contains examples from the 7th to 18th centuries, with some staggering attributions to Monk Ikkyu, Empress Komyo, Minamoto no Yoritomo and more. There are even a few early paintings as well

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