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Hudson Museum - The University of Maine

Name: Hudson Museum - The University of Maine
Address: 5746 Collins Center for the Arts, Orono, ME, 04469, US
Telephone: +12075811904
Price range: Not Applicable

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08/30/2026

Artifact of the Week: Kiribati Shark Tooth Spear (HM6475), Ex. Portland Society of Natural History

This object came to the Hudson Museum from the former Portland Society of Natural History (PSNH). The Society regularly put out calls to Maine "Sea Captains and other Seafaring Men" to add to the collections (see the booklet HM9652).

This piece from Kiribati (formerly the Gilbert Islands), a chain of islands that spans Micronesia and Polynesia, is made from coconut palm wood with teeth from the silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis). On Kiribati sharks are included in origin legends and play an important role in cult initiation ceremonies. Weapons featuring shark teeth proved to be fearsome weaponry!

Come see objects from around the world at the Hudson Museum in the Collins Center for the Arts on the University of Maine campus Monday - Friday 9am - 4pm.

You can find out more about this and other Hudson Museum artifacts on our collections page here: https://hudsonmuseum.catalogaccess.com/

08/23/2026

Congratulations to the amazing Wabanaki artists who attended at the 104th annual Santa Fe Indian Market last weekend.

Caleb Hoffman (Cherokee/Penobscot) won Best of Basketry (for the second year in a row!) for his basket "Perseverance" and his basket "Obelisk" also won a Second Place ribbon at the show.

Theresa Secord (Penobscot) also received two ribbons, winning First Place in the miniature basket category for her miniature barrel and a Second Place ribbon for her full-size barrel!

Shane Perley-Dutcher (Maliseet) won both a First Place ribbon and an Honorable Mention for his sculptural pieces echoing Wabanaki basketry forms in metal.

David Lone Bear Sanipass won a Second Place ribbon for his Traditional Mi'kmaq Sweetgrass Flute.

Make sure to check out the pictures to see one of the beautiful birchbark and quillwork pieces brought to the Market by Reanna Crowe (Passamaquoddy).

Congratulations to these amazing Wabanaki artists!

08/09/2026

Artifact of the Week: Ethiopian Talismanic Scroll (HM76)

This week we are featuring an Ethiopian healing or talismanic scroll and scroll case, likely dating to the 19th Century.

These medicinal scrolls were used in healing rituals to purge evil spirits from those who were ill. The scrolls feature written words and talismanic images imbued with healing and protective powers and draw on Christian, Jewish and Muslim traditions from the Northern regions of Ethiopia. The scrolls were written in Ge’ez, an ancient Semitic language, and were often illustrated with angels.

Come see objects from around the world at the Hudson Museum in the Collins Center for the Arts on the University of Maine campus Monday - Friday 9am - 4pm.

You can find out more about this and other Hudson Museum artifacts on our collections page here: https://hudsonmuseum.catalogaccess.com/

08/02/2026

Artifact of the Week: Inuit Dolls (HM5764.1, .2) Richard Emerick Collection

Dr. Richard Emerick, the founding Director of the Anthropology Museum (which became the Hudson Museum) did fieldwork on Igloolik Island in 1953-4 as part of a joint research project with the University Museum at the University of Pennsylvania and the Danish National Museum. During that time he collected these two dolls with soapstone faces made to illustrate traditional summer clothing.

In winter months two layers of caribou parkas and sealskin pants would be worn - an inner layer with fur turned in toward the body, and an outer layer with fur turned outwards to keep the wearer dry. In the summer, however, only the inner layer with the caribou fur turned towards the body would be worn.

Come see objects from around the world at the Hudson Museum in the Collins Center for the Arts on the University of Maine campus Monday - Friday 9am - 4pm.

You can find out more about this and other Hudson Museum artifacts on our collections page here: https://hudsonmuseum.catalogaccess.com/

07/26/2026

Artifact of the Week: Wyandot Fan (HM9645), Jewell Miller Collection

This elaborately decorated fan, c. 1870-1890, includes a cedar waxwing bird and was probably not intended for use, but for display. The handle is made of birchbark embroidered with dyed moose hair. This tradition of embroidering floral and figural designs with moose hair on birchbark was practiced not only by the Wyandot, but also by the Mi’kmaq and Maliseet. Items such as trays, boxes, and card and cigar cases were commonly sold to tourists and foreign visitors as souvenirs of trips to Quebec City and beyond.

This object is on Exhibit! Come see this and many other objects from around the world at the Hudson Museum in the Collins Center for the Arts on the University of Maine campus Monday - Friday 9am - 4pm.

You can find out more about this and other Hudson Museum artifacts on our collections page here: https://hudsonmuseum.catalogaccess.com/

07/19/2026

Artifact of the Week: Colima figure (HM512), William P Palmer III Collection.

Spectator ball courts featuring teams of players were a big deal in Mesoamerica long before FIFA! This tomb figure from the Colima region of West Mexico dates to between 200 BC and AD 500. He stands holding a ball, signifying his status in life as a ball player. While the exact rules varied from place to place, the game was similar to soccer, but played with a solid rubber ball. Players had to move the ball up and down the court without using their hands or feet. Unlike today's friendly handshake at the end of a game, the victors were the ones still standing as the game was often referred to as the game of life and death.

Come see objects from around the world at the Hudson Museum in the Collins Center for the Arts on the University of Maine campus Monday - Friday 9am - 4pm.

You can find out more about this and other Hudson Museum artifacts on our collections page here: https://hudsonmuseum.catalogaccess.com/

07/12/2026

Artifact of the Week: Waltes game (HM6613), Hudson Museum Purchase

Waltes was a traditional Wabanaki game which featured a shallow wooden bowl, six bone or antler dice decorated on one side, and wooden counting sticks. While exact rules vary, the basics of the game revolve around throwing the dice into the bowl, counting the number of dice that land face-up and receiving wooden counting sticks for each upturned die. When all the sticks are won by a player, the game ends. Among the Wabanaki games of chance were traditionally reserved for adults, while children's games were designed to improve hand and eye coordination and encourage endurance.

This object is on Exhibit! Come see this and many other objects from around the world at the Hudson Museum in the Collins Center for the Arts on the University of Maine campus Monday - Friday 9am - 4pm.

You can find out more about this and other Hudson Museum artifacts on our collections page here: https://hudsonmuseum.catalogaccess.com/

07/05/2026

Artifact of the Week: Navajo Textile (HM9844), Donated by Stephen & Martha Porter

This wool textile was made by a Navajo weaver around the middle of the 20th Century and may have been a saddle blanket. Its depiction of the American Flag is highly stylized, featuring 17 horizontal red and white stripes (rather then the traditional 13) and only 12 stars. Despite these differences, the subject matter is immediately recognizable.

Come see objects from around the world at the Hudson Museum in the Collins Center for the Arts on the University of Maine campus Monday - Friday 9am - 4pm.

You can find out more about this and other Hudson Museum artifacts on our collections page here: https://hudsonmuseum.catalogaccess.com/

06/28/2026

Artifact of the Week: Veracruz Snake Apron Priestess (HM1036), William P Palmer, III Collection

Welcome to the Hudson Museum! When you enter the Museum, you are greeted by a large-scale ceramic Veracruz figure of a deity or deity impersonator. She wears a vampire bat mask over her mouth and a heavy necklace of shells or large seeds. Her impressive circular ear flares indicate her elite status. She originally held a wavy-blade knife in her upraised right hand, and an incense bag in the shape of a human head hangs from her left hand. Serpents encircle her waist. Her headdress associates her with bloodletting rituals and the Underworld.

And here's a secret! Though you cannot see it from the front, the back of the figure has multiple large holes - without these the ceramic would have not survived the firing process.

This object is on Exhibit! Come see this and many other objects from around the world at the Hudson Museum in the Collins Center for the Arts on the University of Maine campus Monday - Friday 9am - 4pm.

You can find out more about this and other Hudson Museum artifacts on our collections page here: https://hudsonmuseum.catalogaccess.com/

Address

5746 Collins Center For The Arts
Orono, ME
04469

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 3pm
Tuesday	10am - 3pm
Wednesday	10am - 3pm
Thursday	10am - 3pm
Friday	10am - 3pm

Telephone

+12075811904

Website

http://www.umaine.edu/hudsonmuseum/

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