← Religion & Culture

Cultural Portraits and Processions

Images of traditional attire and communal gatherings, featuring women in vibrant dresses during a Good Friday event, set in a dynamic outdoor environment.

Tanganyika. Arusha. Masai girls and women at the wedding. 1936, Tanzania, Arusha

Description: Oba Ilorin africa

Native American Kwakiutl or Qagyuhi dancers wearing masks and costumes during a traditional potlatch 1914 in British Columbia, Canada. The chief on the far left holds a speaker's staff. Three totem poles in background.

Indios del Darien - Rep. of Panama - Darien Indians - Rep. of Panama , Indigenous peoples, Choco Indians, Tichnor Brothers Collection, postcards of the United States

Indo Aryan settlement in ancient India Copyright: xKenxGraham/DinodiaxPhotox

Wooden tent and felt blankets of Kyrgyz nomads. 1920-30

The newly crowned emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie, accompanied by his youngest son, carries the orb and sceptre after the coronation ceremony in Addis Ababa Date: 2 November 1930

Sofi, Chief Justice Samoa, New Zealand, by Muir & Moodie.

Nomads outside their yurt, west Mongolia, c1928. Creator: Unknown.

Batavia (Jakarta), Indonesia. Javanese actresses in the performance of Wayang Wong (shadow game without masks) in front of local audience and tourists of the Hapag

The Wanniyala-Aetto, or 'forest people', more commonly known as Veddas or Veddahs, are an indigenous people of Sri Lanka, an island nation in the Indian Ocean; they were never numerous and are now few in number. Sri Lanka had always been an important port and trading post in the ancient world, and was increasingly frequented by merchant ships from the Middle East, Persia, Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and other parts of Southeast Asia. The islands were known to the first European explorers of South Asia and settled by many groups of Arab and Malay merchants. A Portuguese colonial mission arrived on the island in 1505 headed by Lourenco de Almeida, the son of Francisco de Almeida. At that point the island consisted of three kingdoms, namely Kandy in the central hills, Kotte at the Western coast, and Yarlpanam (Anglicised Jaffna) in the north. The Dutch arrived in the 17th century. The British East India Company took over the coastal regions controlled by the Dutch in 1796, and in

Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramenthramaha Mongkut Phra Chom Klao Chao Yu Hua, or Rama IV, better known as King Mongkut (18 October 1804 1 October 1868), was the fourth monarch of Siam (Thailand) under the House of Chakri, ruling from 1851-1868. He was one of the most revered monarchs of the country. During his reign, the pressure of Western expansionism was felt for the first time in Siam. Mongkut embraced Western innovations and initiated the modernization of Siam, both in technology and culture-earning him the nickname 'The Father of Science and Technology' in Siam. Mongkut was also known for his appointment of his brother, Prince Chutamani, as vice-king. Prince Chutamani was crowned in 1851 as King Pinklao. Mongkut himself assured the country that Pinklao should be respected with equal honor to himself. Mongkut's reign was also the time when the power of the House of Bunnag reached its zenith and became the most powerful noble family of Siam.

Information office and radio broadcaster Dutch New Guinea. After a holy mass has been served at Kampong Katan, T.g.V. The Plantfeest, the Capetti controller keeps a speech to the population, arguing the Papuans to cultivate useful crops such as cocoa (Mappi / South New Guinea). October 1955. New Guinea

Bedouin are a part of a predominantly desert-dwelling Arabian ethnic group traditionally divided into tribes, or clans, known in Arabic as aasa'ir. The term 'Bedouin' derives from a plural form of the Arabic word badawi, as it is pronounced in colloquial dialects. The Arabic term badawi derives from the word badiyah, which means semiarid desert (as opposed to sahara', which means desert). Starting in the late nineteenth century, many Bedouin under British rule began to transit to a seminomadic life. In the 1950s and 1960s, large numbers of Bedouin throughout Midwest Asia started to leave the traditional, nomadic life to settle in the cities of Midwest Asia, especially as hot ranges have shrunk and populations have grown. For example, in Syria the Bedouin way of life effectively ended during a severe drought from 1958 to 1961, which forced many Bedouin to abandon herding for standard jobs. Similarly, governmental policies in Egypt and Israel, oil production in the Persian Gulf, as well

The Tai ethnicity refers collectively to the ethnic groups of southern China and Southeast Asia, stretching from Hainan to eastern India and from southern Sichuan to Laos, Thailand, and parts of Vietnam, which speak languages in the Tai family and share similar traditions and festivals, including the water festival. Despite never having a unified nation-state of their own, the peoples also have historically shared a vague idea of a 'Siam' nation, corrupted to Shan or Assam in some places. The majority of Tai Lu live around Xishuangbanna in Yunnan Province in southern China. Other Tai Lu villages can be found in Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and Burma.

Indian - Montana. Photographs Relating to National Forests, Resource Management Practices, Personnel, and Cultural and Economic History

Description: Kanuri africa

Zulu warriors, with Chief's wives.Date: 1879

The British conquest of Burma began in 1824 in response to a Burmese attempt to invade India. By 1886, and after two further wars, Britain had incorporated the entire country into the British Raj. To stimulate trade and facilitate changes, the British brought in Indians and Chinese, who quickly displaced the Burmese in urban areas. To this day Rangoon and Mandalay have large ethnic Indian populations. Railways and schools were built, as well as a large number of prisons, including the infamous Insein Prison, then and now used for political prisoners. Burmese resentment was strong and was vented in violent riots that paralysed Rangoon on occasion all the way until the 1930s. Burma was administered as a province of British India until 1937 when it became a separate, self-governing colony. Burma finally gained independence from Britain on Jan. 4, 1948.

Ethiopic Court Fashion - The Abyssinian Court presents a scale of barbaric splendor. Nobles, in lionskins and head dresses, attending the court in July last, when the Emperor's 44th birthday was celebrated. September 24, 1935.

Parsis funeral in India, painting by EE Wecks, from L'Illustrazione Italiana, Year XXIV, No 29, July 18, 1897.

Anefo photo collection. Bali (Indonesia), ceremony on Temple of Besakih (Bali). September 9, 1971. Bali, Indonesia, Indonesia

The circumcision, Anonymous

'Buddhist Priests; Four Months in Ceylon', 1875. Holy men from what is now Sri Lanka. From, 'Illustrated Travels' by H.W. Bates. Cassell, Petter, and Galpin, c1880, London Belle Sauvage Works.London E.C.

Muria Maria tribe of bastar, jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh, India, Asia Copyright: xArunxMishra/DinodiaxPhotox

Samoan turtle hunters, German Samoa was a German colony in the western part of the Samoa Islands from 1900 to 1914 (de facto) or 1919 (de jure), Historic, digitally restored reproduction of an original artwork from the early 20th century, exact original date unknown

A Bell For Okinawa, Ryukyu Retto - Famous In Okinawa's History Which Connects The Past With The Present Is This Huge Bell Which Hands In The Courtyard At The Ishikawa Exhibit On The North Central Part Of The Island. Believed To Have Been Cast By The Japanesea

Description: Filani (Mori) africa

Ifugao is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Covering a total land area of 262,820 hectares, the province of Ifugao is located in a mountainous region characterized by rugged terrain, river valleys, and massive forests. Its capital is Lagawe and borders Benguet to the west, Mountain Province to the north, Isabela to the east, and Nueva Vizcaya to the south. The Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras and Banaue Rice Terraces are the main tourist attractions in the province. These 2000-year-old terraces were carved into the mountains, without the aid of machinery, to provide level steps where the native Ifugao people can plant rice. In 1995, they were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ifugao culture revolves around rice, which is considered a prestige crop. There is an elaborate and complex array of rice culture feasts inextricably linked with taboos and intricate agricultural rites, from rice cultivation to rice consumpti

David Livingstone memorial in Blantyre; Livingstone reading the Bible to a group of African men. Photoprint.

Grupo de Taurumares, familia India en Chihuahua - Mexican Indian family , Indigenous peoples, Violins, Tarahumara Indians, Tichnor Brothers Collection, postcards of the United States

Historic (Indians). undefined.

Northern Beluchs Types - Mountaineers of the Western Himalayas

King Leopold II of Belgium's administration of the Congo Free State was characterised by atrocities, including torture and murder, resulting from notorious systematic brutality. The hands of men, women, and children were amputated when the quota of rubber was not met and millions of the Congolese people died.

Mahatma Gandhi, Kasturba Gandhi b, Manogna l, wife of Mahatma Gandhi s grand nephew Krishnadas and her son Sharad at Sevagram Ashram, 1940 NO MR Copyright: xVithalbhaixJhaveri/DinodiaxPhotox

Ein Zulu und seine Frauen, Südafrika, historische, digital restaurierte Reproduktion eines Originals aus dem 19. Jahrhundert, Aufnahmedatum nicht angegeben, A Zulu and his wives, South Africa , Historic, digitally restored reproduction from a 19th century original, Record date not stated

Native men at tribal gathering in Fiji, South Pacific

This photo shows five Brahmans in India in 1913. Brahman, by definition, refers to a Hindu of the highest caste tradiitonally assigned to the priesthood.

Description: Kanuri africa

Dervishes and martyrs, Tehran, c1890. Artist: Gillot

A cotton market in Bombay, India, 19th century. Artist: Unknown

Cheyenne Chiefs, Native American

David Livingstone memorial in Blantyre; Livingstone and his family, kneeling and praying for a sick African man. Photoprint.

Early Indian natives building a shelter Copyright: xKenxGraham/DinodiaxPhotox

Legend attributes the first Buddhist doctrine in Burma to 228 BC when Sonna and Uttara, two ambassadors of the Emperor Ashoka the Great of India, came to the country with sacred texts. However, the golden era of Buddhism truly began in the 11th century after King Anawrahta of Pagan (Bagan) was converted to Theravada Buddhism. Today, 89% of the population of Burma is Theravada Buddhist.

Indias de San Blas - Rep. de Panama - Indians of San Blas - Rep. of Panama , Indigenous peoples, Children, Cuna Indians, Tichnor Brothers Collection, postcards of the United States

Mozambique, Africa - Christian Missionary treating and caring for African victims of leprosy. Date: circa 1910s

Scene of mourning at the funerary temple of Tutankhamun, Egypt, 1325 BC (1933-1934). Artist: Unknown

Inhabitants of the Congo, historical woodcut, circa 1888

Description: Kanuri africa

Susuhunan, or in short version Sunan, is a title used by the kings of Mataram and then by the hereditary rulers of Surakarta, Indonesia. The rulers of Surakarta traditionally adopt the reign name Pakubuwono (also spelled Pakubuwana). Susuhunan is specific to the rulers of Surakarta; the rulers of Yogyakarta, who are also descended from the Mataram dynasty have the title Sultan. The full title of the Susuhunan in Javanese is Sampeyan Dalem ingkang Sinuhun Kanjeng Susuhunan Prabhu Sri Paku Buwana Senapati ing Alaga Ngabdulrahman Sayidin Panatagama (His Exalted Majesty, The Susuhunan, King Paku Buwana, Commander-in-chief in war, Servant of the Most Gracious, Caliph who safeguards the Religion).

Description: Munshi tiv, munshi, africa

Mau,Mau Cleansing CeremonyThis is the first picture taken of a Mau,Mau cleansing ceremony in the Kiambu district in Kenya. On the right, in sheepskin coat, the Mundo Mu Gu" (A witch doctor who practises for good not evil), prepares to absolve Kikuyu tribesmen who have previously taken the Mau,Mau oath.In front of the witchdoctor is a depression in the ground lined with banana leaves, containing the blood and stomach contents of a goat slaughtered for the purpose. The hoof of the goat, wrapped in leaves, is a dapped into the blood and applies to the initiates' tongue, who then retches the Mau Mau evil. November 24, 1952. (Photo by Associated Press Photo).

Africa, dahomey, republic of benin, objects of witchcraft and medicine, 1930.

Description: Return of Chief Mkwawa's skull to Tangangika and other photographs from the mid 1950s. africa

Portrait of King Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramenthra Maha Mongkut Phra Chom Klao Chao Yu Hua (1804-1868) and his wife, Queen Debsirindra of Siam (1834-1862). Dated 1851

Kisaeng (also spelled gisaeng), sometimes called ginyeo, were female official prostitutes or entertainers. Kisaeng are artists who work to entertain others, such as the yangban aristocracy and kings. First appearing in the Goryeo Dynasty, kisaeng were legally entertainers of the government, required to perform various functions for the state. Many were employed at court, but they were also spread throughout the country. They were carefully trained, and frequently accomplished in the fine arts, poetry, and prose, although their talents were often ignored due to their inferior social status. Women of the kisaeng class performed various roles, although they were all of the same low status in the eyes of yangban society. Aside from entertainment, these roles included medical care and needlework. In some cases, such as at army bases, kisaeng were expected to fill several such roles. Kisaeng, both historic and fictional, play an important role in Korean conceptions of the traditional culture

Bamileke (Bamileke) witch doctor or sorcerer, near Bangangte, a town and commune in Cameroon, West Africa. c1930

Statues Mediaval a Bronze DAns l'HIFKIRING, INSBUCK, TYRL (4) ..

The Marma, also known as Magh or Mog, are Arakanese descendants inhabiting the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh since the Arakan kingdom period in the 16th century AD. In the late 20th century, their population stood at over 210,000. Ethnically related to the Burmese, they are largely followers of Theravada Buddhism. They are the second largest ethnic minority group in Bangladesh. Most Marmas live in the three hill districts of Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachhari. The headquarter of the Raja or Chief of the Marma society is located at Bandarban, CHT. Marmas speak Arakanese dialect and their language is written in Burmese characters. Marma language belongs to the Burmano-Arakan group within the broad classifications of Tibeto-Burman languages. In recent times, Marmas in urban areas and nearby settlements speak the corrupt local language of Chittagongnian.

Snake charmer, Sierra Leone, 20th century. Artist: Unknown

Nearly 95 percent of the Thai population are Theravada Buddhists, though many would argue that Siamese Buddhism has integrated with animist folk beliefs as well as Chinese religions. Thai Buddhism was based on the religious movement founded in the 6th century BC by Siddhartha, later known as the Buddha, who urged the world to relinquish the extremes of sensuality and self-mortification and follow the enlightened Middle Way. Theravada Buddhism was made the state religion in Siam only after the establishment of the Sukhothai kingdom in the 13th century CE. By the 19th century, and especially with the coming to power in 1851 of King Mongkut who had been a monk himself for 27 years, the 'sangha' (monkhood), like the kingdom, became steadily more centralized and hierarchical in nature and its links to the state more institutionalized.

Description: A Dervish at Masjid-i-Sulaiman. Description: Typical Lur tribesmaen, showing the curious felt coats commonly worn.

Hausa incurred by the international association, vintage engraving. Hausa incurred by the international association, vintage engraved illustration. Journal des Voyage, Travel Journal, 1880-81. Copyright: xZoonar.com/PatrickxGuenettex 10657190

The Javanese dancers, Java island. Indonesia, Southeast. Six weeks in Java 1879 by Desire Charnay (1828 - 1915). Old 19th century engraving from Le Tour du Monde 1880

Antonio, Chief of Bontoc Igorot

Description: Tongan women in an expressive dance. Location: Tonga tonga, australasia, oceania, australasiathroughalens

Nestorius developed his Christological views as an attempt to rationally explain and understand the incarnation of the divine Logos, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity as the man Jesus Christ. He had studied at the School of Antioch where his mentor had been Theodore of Mopsuestia; Theodore and other Antioch theologians had long taught a literalist interpretation of the Bible and stressed the distinctiveness of the human and divine natures of Jesus. Nestorius took his Antiochene leanings with him when he was appointed Patriarch of Constantinople by Eastern Roman Emperor Theodosius II in 428. Nestorius' teachings became the root of controversy when he publicly challenged the long-used title Theotokos (Mother of God) for the Virgin Mary. He suggested that the title denied Christ's full humanity, arguing instead that Jesus had two loosely joined natures, the divine Logos and the human Jesus. As such he proposed Christotokos (Mother of Christ) as a more suitable title for Mary. Nestoriu

The Chakmas, also known as the Changhma, are a community that inhabits the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh and North-East India. The Chakmas are the largest ethnic group in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, making up more than half the tribal population. Chakmas are divided into 46 clans or Gozas. A tribal group called Tongchangya are also considered to be a branch of the Chakma people. Both tribes speak the same language, have the same customs and culture, and profess the same religion, Theravada Buddhism. Chakmas are Tibeto-Burman, and are thus closely related to tribes in the foothills of the Himalayas. The Chakmas are believed to be originally from Arakan who later on moved to Bangladesh, settling in the Cox's Bazar District, the Korpos Mohol area, and in the Indian states of Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura.

The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan.Villagers from Poni in the Yei district arriving at local Church. This is a region in Equatorial ***** church-going is immensely popular. December 2, 1953. (Photo by George Rodger, Camera Press).

King Leopold II of Belgium's administration of the Congo Free State was characterised by atrocities, including torture and murder, resulting from notorious systematic brutality. The hands of men, women, and children were amputated when the quota of rubber was not met and millions of the Congolese people died.

Delhi, Indes a Hindu woman (portrait of American plane) , 1913-1914 - India, Pakistan - Stéphane Passet - (December 16 -January 29) (French - Delhi , Indes Une femme hindoue ( portrait de profil en plan américain )). Woman, costume, Hinduism, exists in high definition, portrait, accessory, jewelry, Human beings, clothing, religion, HD, Indies, Delhi, Hindu woman

NATIVES OF THE DECCAN, a large plateau in India, making up most of the southern part of the country.

Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are discontinuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa Oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke various Berber languages, which together form a branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family.

Manipur is a state in northeastern India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. Its people include the Meetei, Pangal (Muslims), Bishnupriya Manipuri's, Naga and Kuki who speak different languages of branches of the Tibeto-Burman family. The state is bounded by Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south, and Assam to the west; Burma lies to the east. It covers an area of 22,327 square kilometres (8,621 sq mi).

His head completely covered and clad in a colorful dress trimmed with straw this ian tribesman was among the 7,000 who paraded before the Queen at the Kaduna rally on Thursday (2-2-56). February 17, 1955. (Photo by Daily Mirror).;His head completely covered and clad in a colorful dress trimmed with straw this ian tribesman was among the 7,000 who paraded before the Queen at the Kaduna rally on Thursday (2-2-56).

circumcision performed in the Russian Empire's Moslem regions (Turkmenistan circa 1875

Kandyan chiefs.. Postcards. 1901 - 1907. The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection. Sri Lankans, Sri Lanka, Tribal chiefs

'Seminole nation' holds 'Mother's Day' near Fort Myers, Florida, City of Palms , Tichnor Brothers Collection, postcards of the United States

Illustration depicting two Australian aborigines in traditional cloaks. Dated c1850

THE AFRICAN NATIVE CHOIR, WHICH SANG BEFORE H.M. THE QUEEN AT OSBORNE

'Seminole nation' holds 'Mother's Day' near Fort Myers, Florida, City of Palms , Tichnor Brothers Collection, postcards of the United States

A Hindu employee in Moengo.

Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are discontinuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa Oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke various Berber languages, which together form a branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family. Photography probably by Lehnert & Landrock: Rudolf Franz Lehnert (Czech) and Ernst Heinrich Landrock (German) had a photographic company based in Tunis, Cairo and Leipzig before World War II. They specialised in somewhat risque Orinetalist images of young Arab and Bedouin women, often dancers.

Sabians or Star Worshippers - at the Baghdad Medical Mission, Iraq. A name given by the Shemitic peoples to those who worship the spiritual beings in the universe; and because the celestial bodies were the most evident manifestations of some classes of these spiritual beings, this religion naturally became confused with the worship of the celestial bodies themselves as the dwellings or mansions of the regents above, in, and behind the visible orbs. Hence the Sabeans were called astrolaters or st

Portrait of four abbots of a monastery dedicated to Hanoeman in India, c. 1858 - in or before 1868 photograph Uttar pradesh photographic support albumen print human races; peoples; nationalities. religious functionaries ~ Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism Ayodhya

Muria Maria tribe of bastar, jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh, India, Asia Copyright: xArunxMishra/DinodiaxPhotox

King Behanzin of Benin. Behanzin (1844-1906) the eleventh King of Dahomey (now Benin). He ruled from 1889 to 1894 and was the last independent ruler established through traditional power structures. Led the national resistance during the Dahomey War. Date: circa 1900

Corpse on Pyre, Hindu Funeral, Lower Ganges, Uttar Pradesh, India, Hand-Colored Magic Lantern Slide, Newton & Company, 1930

Description: Nyanza Province. Kisii Pottery in the making. The Kisii are a virile Bantu tribe, living in the South of the Nyanza Province. Location: Nyanza Province, Kenya kenya, carving, soapstone, kisii, nyanza, tabaka, africa, gusii, mugirango

The caption accompanying this 1903 illustration in Gaston Masperos book on History of Egypt reads: Water Carriers..

An Aymara Indian, full-length, standing, facing slightly right, Bolivia. Photographic print by Max T. Vargas, Arequipa, La Paz, Frank and Frances Carpenter Collection, Indians of South America,Bolivia,Clothing & dress,1900-1930, Aymara Indians,Clothing & dress,1900-1930.

Four masai warriors in full war dress, Kenya. Frank and Frances Carpenter Collection , Published in: "The World and Its Cultures" chapter of the ebook Great Photographs from the Library of Congress, 2013, Maasai (African people),1890-1930, Warriors,Kenya,1890-1930, Shields,Kenya,1890-1930, Spears,Kenya,1890-1930, Headdresses,1890-1930, Men,Kenya,1890-1930.

Palestine is a name given to the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. The region is also known as the Land of Israel, the Holy Land and the Southern Levant. In 1832 Palestine was conquered by Muhammad Ali's Egypt, but in 1840 Britain intervened and returned control of the Levant to the Ottomans in return for further capitulations. The end of the 19th century saw the beginning of Zionist immigration and the Revival of the Hebrew language. The movement was publicly supported by Great Britain during World War I with the Balfour Declaration of 1917. The British captured Jerusalem a month later, and were formally awarded a mandate in 1922. In 1947, following World War II and the Holocaust, the British Government announced their desire to terminate the Mandate, and the United Nations General Assembly voted to partition the territory into a Jewish state and an Arab state. The Jewish leadership accepted the proposal but the Arab Higher Committee rejected it; a

Indias de San Blas - Rep. de Panama - Indians of San Blas - Rep. of Panama , Indigenous peoples, Children, Cuna Indians, Tichnor Brothers Collection, postcards of the United States

Southern Madagascar - Chief of the Bara People Date: circa 1910s

Women praying before an earthen shrine in a rice field. May 7, 1945. (Photo by Herbert Photos, Inc.)

'Seminole Nation' holds 'Mother's day,' Miami, Florida , Tichnor Brothers Collection, postcards of the United States

Izmir (Smyrna), Turkey - Albanian Tribal Chiefs. Date: 1910s

Pueblo Indian, Native American

Peranakan Chinese and Baba-Nyonya are terms used for the descendants of late 15th and 16th-century Chinese immigrants to the Malay-Indonesian archipelago of Nusantara during the Colonial era. Members of this community in Malaysia identify themselves as 'Nyonya-Baba' or 'Baba-Nyonya'. Nyonya is the term for the females and Baba for males. It applies especially to the ethnic Chinese populations of the British Straits Settlements of Malaya and the Dutch-controlled island of Java and other locations, who adopted partially or in full Malay-Indonesian customs to become partially assimilated into the local communities. While the term Peranakan is most commonly used among the ethnic Chinese for those of Chinese descent also known as Straits Chinese, it may also be applied to the Baba-Yaya community in Phuket and other provinces of southern Thailand.

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