Search Term Record
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Appalachia |
Related Records
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1970.001.320 - Banjo
This is a hand-crafted fretless banjo made from pine wood. This banjo was featured by the Reece Museum's "Sing Along with Appalachia" exhibition from 1969-1970. It was then donated to the Reece Museum's permanent collection by instrument collector and Appalachian music enthusiast Nat T. Winston Jr. in 1970. The exact date of this banjo's creation is unknown, but it is estimated that this banjo dates to the early twentieth century.
Record Type: Object
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1970.001.327 - Dulcimer
This handmade dulcimer features a "face" carved into the neck of the instrument. Commonly heard in traditional American music, the dulcimer took on its current configuration in Appalachia, and is usually plucked or strummed with picks, feather quills, or the musician's fingers. The date of this dulcimer is questionable - some research has shown that it could date back to the 1840s, while some scholars have estimated it was made between 1900 ...
Record Type: Object
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1985.003 - Dulcimer
This dulcimer was made by James Garland and based on style and measurements of similar instruments made by his father, T.N. Garland. The body of the dulcimer is made of a gourd, likely a dipper gourd. Gourd decoration is an ancient t...
Record Type: Object
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2017.001.001 - Quilt
This is a patchwork style quilt that is overdyed green. The original 1960s quilt, made by Nervie Powers, has been reworked over time by Margaret Gregg, who added screen-printed images, symbols, and text throughout. Gregg recalls: "This work is about my years of doing and learning and remembering, especially in the Mountain communities of East Tennessee. The background is a quilt of Nervie Powers, 'my' mountain woman, who was a loving, wise, a...
Record Type: Object
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2023.012.001 - Basket
Kudzu basket handcrafted by the late Reverend Jimmy Morrow of Cocke County, Tennessee. This basket is circular in shape and does not feature a handle. The dried kudzu is a dark green-brown hue. According to Jimmy's wife, Jimmy learned how to make these baskets "from mountain people."
Record Type: Object
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2023.012.002 - Basket
This kudzu basket was handcrafted by the late Reverend Jimmy Morrow of Cocke County, Tennessee. This basket is circular in shape and features a singular curved handle. The dried kudzu is a dark green-brown hue. According to Jimmy's wife, Mrs. Pamela Morrow, Jimmy learned how to make these baskets "from mountain people."
Record Type: Object
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2023.012.003 - Painting
This folk art painting features the story of a woman named Bertha in "Naillon Tenasee" in 1899. The narrative text reads: "Appalachian Historical Folk Art Painting Bertha Gergory why sitting on the porch churning butter milk in a churn frogs come out from the porch Bertha had sore on her leg and flys was on the sore and the frogs shot their tongue in the sore on Bertha leg to catch the flys and the porison from frogs tongue...
Record Type: Object
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2023.012.004 - Painting
This folk art painting features the story of a woman named Sarah Ann Morrow in Cocke County, Tennessee. The narrative text reads: "As the dogs was fighting the bear under the floor of the cabin the bear tore loose the planks from the cabin floor Sarah Ann Morrow got the ax behind the wood stove kill the bear." The central image of the painting is a woman with long black hair using an ax to bludgeon a black bear. This scene is occ...
Record Type: Object
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2023.012.005 - Painting
This folk art painting features "a religious ceremony for the dead, Pueblo or Hopi Indians." There are two distinct images featured in this artwork. In the foreground, an indigenous person is kneeling on the ground next to a brown object. The object appears to be a mound of dirt, or maybe a headstone. The kneeling person has long, black hair. They are wearing a yellow band around their forehead with a black and white feather positioned upright...
Record Type: Object
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2023.012.006 - Painting
This folk art painting features the story of a woman named Sally Moore in Cocke County, Tennessee in 1847. The narrative text reads: "Cocke County Tennessee Folk-Art Folk-Lore 1847 The Old Mountain Settlement of Naillon Sally Moore during the night got up was warming her self by the fire in the fire place and was bit by rattlesnake." The central image of this painting features a woman with long, black hair standing with he...
Record Type: Object
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2023.012.007 - Painting
This folk art painting depicts Reverend Morrow's interpretation of the folklore of "sin eaters." Sin eaters are described as a person who consumes a ritual meal to take on the sins of a deceased person. The food consumed-often bread, in Appalachia-was believed to absorb the sins of a recently deceased person, thus absolving their soul. Sin eaters, as a consequence, carried the sins of all people whose sins they consumed. Thus, they were usually f...
Record Type: Object
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2023.012.008 - Painting
This folk art painting features the story of Liston Pack, a man who was arrested for serpent handling. The narrative text of the painting reads: "History and Historical Folk-Lore Folk-Art Painting Liston Pack jail for his religion Mark 16:15-20 handling serpents and jail in the Cocke County court house." This painting is relatively unique in that the Reverend only created a handful of paintings on smoothed, arched wood. The vas...
Record Type: Object
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2023.012.009 - Painting
This folk art painting depicts a spiritual vision of the Biblical "Judgment Day." This large painting features excerpts of multiple Bible verses that influence scenes within the work. On the far left amidst a clear blue sky, the text of Ecclesiastes 5:15 is painted in white: "as he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he made carry away in his hand." An asymmetr...
Record Type: Object
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2023.012.010 - Painting
This folk art painting depicts a mixture of peoples expressing their religious beliefs next to a body of water. At the top of the painting, amidst a clear blue sky, "Go ye in to the world preach the Gospel. good news. Mark 16." is painted in black. Below this text, there are three groupings of people partaking in spiritual activities, each with narrative text that contextualizes the images. From left to right: On the leftmost portion of the pa...
Record Type: Object
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2023.012.011 - Painting
This folk art painting depicts a man named Henry Tinker as he is praying for and/or handling a rattlesnake. Henry is the central image. He has short black hair and is smiling. He is wearing a white, long-sleeved shirt with a black banner that reads "Jesus Name" on top of the undershirt. He is also wearing blue and/or denim pants and black boots with white laces. His arms are outstretched to the left, making contact with a large yellow rattlesnake...
Record Type: Object
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2023.012.012 - Doll
This soft sculpture was handmade by Reverend Jimmy Morrow. It appears to either be a self-portrait of sorts, or possibly a historic representation of banner-wearing, serpent-handling Christians in the Appalachian region, which is a common motif in the artworks of Reverend Morrow. The body of the doll seems to be primarily made by wire, which is not visible to the viewer. The doll is fully clothed and detailed with paint. Starting from the top,...
Record Type: Object
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2023.012.013 - Box
This hand-painted serpent box was crafted by the Reverend Jimmy Morrow. Serpent boxes like these were used to house and transport serpents to the homes and churches of serpent-handlers. The box is painted a blue-gray hue on all sides. The top of the box is divided into two portions: one of which is a hinged and lockable lid to access the serpent, and the other features a mesh barrier so that the serpent can be seen and can access fresh air. A...
Record Type: Object
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2023.012.014 - Doll
This soft sculpture was handmade by Reverend Jimmy Morrow in Cocke County, Tennessee. It represents the kinds of venomous serpents that the Reverend handled as part of his signs following religious practices. However, it should be noted that, oftentimes, Rev. Morrow handled copperheads, not rattlesnakes. Dr. Ralph Hood, a religious psychology scholar and friend of Jimmy Morrow, recalls: "He kept serpents…he could keep them in habitats on his p...
Record Type: Object
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2023.012.015 - Painting
This folk art painting depicts two religious practices that are occurring simultaneously. To the left, one man is handling two serpents on land. He has short brown/gray hair and is smiling. He wears a long-sleeved white shirt, brown trousers with a black belt, and black boots. He is holding one serpent in each hand, and both arms are raised upward. Both of the serpents are black with yellow arrow markings. A brown cabin labelled "Church of God" i...
Record Type: Object
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2023.012.016 - Painting
This folk art painting depicts a dark-skinned person with white hair, red oval lips, oval brown eyes, and white nails. The figure is wearing a purple shirt. The figure is holding a black and white striped serpent in the air above their head with both hands. "Acts 10:34 God is no respecter of persons" is painted in white below the central figure. The background is gray behind the figure. The painting is signed "JM" in white paint on the ri...
Record Type: Object
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2023.012.017 - Painting
This folk art painting depicts a woman named Polly. She has long black hair, blue eyes, red, lips, spindly limbs, and is standing with her head tilted to one side (viewer's right). She is wearing a long blue dress with black strapped shoes, and her right hand is positioned on her right hip (viewer's left). She is sprinkling "mill" onto the ground with her left hand. There is a gray-brown snail with a smiling, human-like face and white markings po...
Record Type: Object
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2023.012.018 - Painting
This folk art painting depicts a man with black hair and a full beard, blue eyes, red lips, black boots, and a blue, full-body jumpsuit. The man is holding a double bit axe that is lodged in the back of a large yellow and black serpent. "During the colonies as Jacob Naillon was cutting trees huge rattlesnake crawl off the mountain into the Naillon settlement Jacob hit the rattlesnake in end of its tail with his double bit axe" / "The rattlesn...
Record Type: Object
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2023.012.019 - Painting
This folk art painting has three visible sections that each depict religious scenes and symbols. The first section is painted on a dark blue and green background with yellow lighting bolts in the sky. This section depicts a man with a white/gray beard and hair, brown eyes, and red lips. He is wearing a white robe. The man is holding a gray stone tablet with the words "Ten Commandments of Jesus" painted in white on it. "Deoteronomy 5:22. Jesus ...
Record Type: Object
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2024.012.001 - Dulcimer, Appalachian
This dulcimer and instrument stand set was built by Jethro Amburgey of Hindman, Kentucky. The dulcimer is signed and numbered by Amburgey inside (visible only through the vantage point of the bottom left heart). This dulcimer features Amburgey's distinctive carved hearts along the face of the instrument.
Record Type: Object
