Digital Lab Blog

This blog aims to highlight artefacts, stories, histories, and relationships from the collections at MAA. Each post begins with an object or a collection at MAA and explores wider themes including substances of wellbeing and intoxication, process of making, mending, and conservation, digitisation and more!

Explore the most recent blog posts below or use the dropdown menu to filter posts by category. For more stories on collections from across the MAA and the wider University Cambridge Museums consortium, head to the University of Cambridge Museums blog.

Made of Straw

Three straw hats exemplify intricate craft skills, raising questions about creators, evolving techniques, and the contemporary relevance of a versatile and historically significant material like straw.

Lucy Hockley

19 September 2023

Axel and Roslyn Poignant’s Double Image of Mexico City

Axel and Roslyn Poignant's photographs of Mexico City in 1969 vividly blend modernism with raw humanity, and encapsulate a transformative moment in the city's history, as it negotiated its identity.

Alejandro Porcel Arraut

12 September 2023

My experience during the MAA collections internship

Amidst discussions of dream opportunities, an unexpected collections internship emerged, leading this UK-based Fijian intern to researching and choreographing meke, a traditional dance.

Takenivula Rakei

5 September 2023

At the Heart of the Jebena Bunna, the Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony

The Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony symbolises tradition and community, uniting people and generations across Ethiopia and its diaspora abroad. At its heart, is a simple vessel: the jebena.

Aayushi Gupta

22 August 2023

The Divine Union of Ganesha and India’s Metallurgical Marvels

An exquisite brass artwork from India portrays Ganesha with Siddhi & Riddhi, skilfully blending metallurgy, culture, and Hindu spirituality, creating a captivating symbol of depth and devotion.

Smridhi Chadha

15 August 2023

Adorned in Brilliance: A Kingfisher Headdress and its Royal Symbolism

Experience the allure of a late 19th-century Kingfisher headdress, a majestic symbol of imperial power and feminine elegance, adorned with vibrant feathers and intricate artistry.

John Donegan-Cross

8 August 2023

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