Coffee and Curators: Egyptian Zar jewelry in Dee Birnbaum Collection

"Coffee and Curator" talks are 10-minute presentations by museum staff followed by a 10-minute Q&A session, meant to be consumed on one's coffee break! Originally presented February 2022. Once widely practiced in Egypt but now largely performed in secret, Zar is a type of folk ritual intended to heal ailments believed to be caused by spirit possession. Predominately associated with women, Zar rituals were not intended to exorcise spirits but to please them so that the patient was no longer suffering. In addition to music, dancing, food, and offerings, jewelry played a prominent role in Zar ceremonies and was a component of daily dress for Zar practitioners. This talk by Emily Bryant highlights some of the numerous Zar-related pieces from the Dee Birnbaum textile and jewelry collection at the IU Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. 0:00 Introduction 5:05 Talk 15:05 Q&A IUMAA Website: https://iumaa.iu.edu/ IUMAA Facebook:   / iumuseumaa   IUMAA Twitter:   / iumuseumaa   IUMAA Instagram:   / iumuseumaa