TODAY More fun and games on the balcony this afternoon! Come along and make and play your own game, using recycled materials. Free, drop-in activities, 1-4pm. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

TODAY Come and play games from across the world with us and make your own game from recycled materials! Free half-term family fun, 1-4pm in the galleries today. No booking required. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

Due to high demand for our recent Tassel Making Workshop with Elizabeth Ashdown, we are rerunning this workshop in October. Tickets are now available on our website, so book early to avoid disappointment! Sat 31 Oct, 10.00-16.30. Tickets: £120 (Members £96), includes lunch and refreshments.

A St Valentine's key amulet purchased in 1931 in Padua, Italy. Popularly recognised as the patron saint of love and marriage, Valentine was a Roman priest who was caught marrying couples and who was martyred for refusing to give up his Christian faith. He was executed on 14 February AD 269.

Vyshyvanka is a traditional Ukrainian embroidered linen shirt that is part of the national folk costume. The embroidery is a vibrant cultural tradition reflecting the history, beliefs and identity of the Ukrainian people, with each region having its own patterns, colours and symbols. bit.ly/4ojhINP

MEMBERS EXCLUSIVE Sign up for our behind the scenes visit to the Conservation Lab & see what the team are currently working on - possibly a unique Hawaiian barkcloth dress, a dance costume from Manipur, plus objects & textiles being moved between stores. 12 Feb, 10-11 or 11.30-12.30. bit.ly/3LuvY8v

In early Islam, people counted their dhikr (remembrance of God) using their fingers or small stones. By the 8th century, prayer beads called misbaha were widely used. Rather than digital counters, many people still love the feel of beads, with misbaha made from beautiful stones like agate & coral.

TODAY Enjoy a flashmob performance combining live music, dance & creative improvisation performed by MuMo Creative & their Dance for Parkinson's and Dance for Joy groups. Everyone is welcome to join in or just view from the sidelines! Sat 7 Feb 11.00 & 12.00 in the galleries. Free, all welcome.

Produce a heartfelt handmade gift for Mother's Day in our Bai Embroidery workshop where you'll learn basic Bai embroidery techniques, explore the cultural meaning behind traditional motifs & stitch your own Bai flower or butterfly design. Sun 14 Mar 10-1pm or 2-5pm. £85 (Members £68). bit.ly/3Y4Inmb

The 'With These Hands' trail features plaster casts which reproduce artefacts from the Mohenjo-daro ruins, one of the great cities of the Indus Valley Civilization (3000-2500 BC). Sold as cultural souvenirs, these casts connect modern makers with disappearing histories.This seal was donated in 1955.

New blog post - 'In the Absence of the Dancer'. The Clothworkers’ Team was privileged to learn from visiting researcher Dr Debanjali Biswas, whose work highlights the missing dancers of the Meitei community, Manipur, India within the Museum’s costume collection. go.glam.ox.ac.uk/sHErfDyO_

Experience a synergy of sound, movement & creativity in a flashmob performance co-created by MuMo Creative & their Dance for Parkinson's & Dance for Joy groups. Inspired by the collections, the performance combines live music, dance & creative improvisation. Sat 7 Feb, 11.00 & 12.00. bit.ly/49OwKGJ

This Saturday we will be opening at 9am for a Relaxed Morning Opening so visitors who may struggle in the museums at peak times can enjoy the galleries while the buildings are quiet. The number of visitors is capped to reduce noise levels, so booking is required. Sat 31 Jan, 9-10am. bit.ly/3NJGBoE

Look out for sledges, both full-size and model ones, along with Arctic clothing, snowshoes, ice skates and paintings on seal skin on our Wonderful Winter Family Trail available in the Museum until Friday 30 January. bit.ly/4oRZuCC

The Clothworkers’ were delighted to closely study this beautiful Qing Dynasty Yunjian or cloud collar during a recent research visit. Taking a closer look at the embroidered flowers, butterflies & peacock feathers, reveals fine couching stitches securing gold-wrapped silk & intricate knot stitches.

Final weekend of 'Suturing Wounds', a photographic installation by Egyptian artist Sara Sallam, in response to ancient Egyptian textile collections held in museums & galleries worldwide, many of which are archaeological finds from Byzantine cemeteries excavated in the 19th century. bit.ly/3L6QX0n

Handcrafted in Syria from olive oil, laurel berry oil and lye and then aged for up to 9 months, Aleppo soap (also called Ghar soap) has been made for more than 2000 years. Follow the Multaka 'With These Hands' trail to explore crafts from around the world through storytelling. bit.ly/4ojhINP

Plaited basketry is a technique used where materials are easily made into long ribbon-like strips, such as palm leaves, bamboo, birch bark & cane. In our 2-day workshop with Polly Pollock, learn how to make a small basket based on 'elbow baskets' made by the Choctaw people in SE USA. bit.ly/4bRR2QO

European trading beads, like these from Austria, were made to African tastes and often imitated materials already valued ornamentally. Mass produced, tiny and portable, these unassuming objects helped build empires, being traded for goods, spices and enslaved people. bit.ly/4ojhINP

MEMBERS EXCLUSIVE Go behind the scenes and hear how conservation work underpins every aspect of the workings of the Museum, meet the team and get the chance to ask questions about the objects currently being worked on. Thurs 12 Feb, 10.00-11.00 or 11.30-12.30. Booking essential. bit.ly/3LuvY8v

Dating from around 1865, this hooded parka from the Aleutian Islands in southern Alaska is made from seal intestines, a naturally waterproof & windproof material. Both robust & decorative, these seal gut parkas would have been used daily to keep warm & dry in this harsh environment. bit.ly/4oRZuCC

The Clothworkers’ are rolling into 2026 by upgrading the storage of our barkcloth collection as it moves into the new CTRC. Each piece is photographed and carefully rolled onto a new archival grade roller, interleafed with acid free tissue and wrapped in a Tyvek cover to protect from dust and UV.

What makes an object ‘authentically’ Indigenous? How can objects challenge our ideas about historical encounters between Europeans & Indigenous peoples? Read our blog about anthropologist Barbara Whitchurch Freire-Marreco's interactions with the Hopi Pueblo: pittrivers-object.blogspot.com/2026/

Tickets are now available for our Goldwork Embroidery Workshop with historic embroidery company, Hand & Lock on Saturday 9 May, 10.00-13.00 or 14.00-17.00. Tickets: £75 (Members £60). More information and booking details at: bit.ly/49T6P0n

We’re excited to present the launch event for the Century of Sounds project, taking over @pittriversmuseum.bsky.social after hours for a very special evening of live music, conversation and sound. Join us on 27 February: citiesandmemory.com/2026/01/cent... @ocmevents.bsky.social

Jibbahs are made & worn by Mahdist Sufis (known as al-Ansaar) in Northern Sudan. They are made from dammur, a thick, coarse cotton. The colour of the patches indicate rank, while the simple design & multiple repairs demonstrate religious devotion & dedication to an austere lifestyle.

In Suturing Wounds, Egyptian artist Sara Sallam presents a series of self-portraits wearing a tunic of antique textile fragments, bearing witness to the 19th-century practice of excavating Byzantine-era cemeteries in Egypt & tearing garments from the dead. On display until 25 Jan. bit.ly/3L6QX0n

JOB VACANCY We are recruiting for an Event Assistant to help deliver a busy programme of commercial, internal & public engagement events in our unique venue. Grade 4: £28,437-£32,108. Full-time (36.5 hours). Closing date: 19 Jan 2026. More info & application details at: prm.ox.ac.uk/event-assist...

Experience reimagined global sound recordings from the archives through live performance, artist conversations and interactive activities in 'A Century of Sounds: Live' in collaboration with Cities and Memory & @ocmevents.bsky.social. Fri 27 Feb 6.30-9pm. Tickets £10 (Members £5). bit.ly/3MGbBFC

Wassail is celebrated in early January to wake up the trees in apple growing areas in South West England. The wassail cup enables orchard owners to offer refreshment when wassailers visit. Find this locally made wassail cup on the Multaka 'With These Hands' trail. bit.ly/4ojhINP

Photography of some Angami Naga textiles is underway, including this cloth by Ulhondu of Khonoma. Collected in March 1937 by J.P.Mills it shows the development of supplementary weft designs and features 12 motifs from geometric patterns to human figures, a horseman, pig , a butterfly and 2 beetles.

Discover the inspirational qualities of the ancient tradition of Bojagi (Korean wrapping cloths) and piece together your own gift-wrapping cloth using traditional Korean silk fabrics in our 1-day workshop. Sat 14 Nov, 10.00-16.30. £100 (Members £80). Includes lunch & refreshments. bit.ly/3Y5UfnY

The Clothworkers’ are mesmerised by this beautiful Yemeni zanna made of shimmering, mallet-burnished indigo-dyed fabric with exquisite embroidery. Herb-filled pouches, mother-of-pearl shards, brass sequins and protective motifs cluster around the neckline, cuffs and seams to ward off the evil eye.

Season's greetings from everyone at Pitt Rivers! Thanks to the generous support of the Clothworkers Foundation, the drawers have been reorganised and made beautifully accessible to visitors. Do come in for a browse over the Christmas holidays. (This is a detail of Drawer C.145.12.)

Book early for our Cordage Making Workshop with artist Alice Fox - or buy as a (very) last minute gift! Saturday 18 July, 10.00-16.30. Tickets: £120 (Members £96), includes lunch, refreshments & materials. bit.ly/3Y2efIc

Learn how to give new life to old clothes with the art of visible mending, turning a rip or hole into a beautiful feature. Sign up for a Sunday morning workshop with clothes restorer Rosie Leech & bring your favourite jumper back to life! Sun 19 April, 11.00-13.00. £40 (Members £32) bit.ly/44Dxb3I

Experience reimagined global sound recordings from the collections through live performance, artist conversations & interactive activities in this unique after-hours event in collaboration with Cities and Memory & Oxford Contemporary Music. Fri 27 Feb. More info & booking details at bit.ly/3MGbBFC

Book now for a hands-on embroidery workshop led by Yiran Duan, a Bai artist from Yunnan, China & founder of Yi Crafts, dedicated to preserving and sharing traditional craftsmanship from China's ethnic minority communities. Sat 14 March, 10.00-13.00 or 14.00-17.00. £85 (Members £68) bit.ly/3Y4Inmb

CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR CLOSURES As we head into the holiday season, a quick reminder that Pitt Rivers Museum will be closed on 24, 25 & 26 December 2025 and 1 January 2026. We are open all other days and look forward to seeing you! 🎅 🎄

Still looking for a last minute present? Have a look at our programme of amazing craft workshops coming up in 2026. All tickets now available to book online (Gold Work Embroidery coming in January). prm.ox.ac.uk/events

We are delighted to announce that Art Fund has awarded Pitt Rivers £47,500 for 'Reimagining Ceremony and Welcome', an innovative project to co-design cultural protocols & symbolic forms of welcome, embedding ceremony & ritual into museum practice & transforming organisational culture. bit.ly/4qbAnvE

MUSEUM CLOSURE Please note that the Pitt Rivers Museum will be closed this afternoon due to a staff event. We will reopen at 10am tomorrow as usual.

The Clothworker’s team continues to work with Naga community members to help bring the Museum’s Naga collection to life. A real highlight has been locating Atula Sangtam from Milada Ganguli’s 1975 Tuensang photograph—and receiving this beautiful response!

Buy a lasting souvenir of your visit with specially commissioned signed linocut prints by Robin Wilson & Rosie Fairfax-Cholmeley of The Wytham Studio now on sale in the Museum shop. Rosie has also created colourful linocut prints of some of our favourite museum artefacts, now available as postcards.

Displayed behind the Arctic clothing is this pictogram painted on seal skin with detailed drawings giving a fascinating insight into life in the Arctic 150 years ago, showing hunting, fighting, trading and travelling on Siberia's Bering Strait. Find this object on our Winter Trail: bit.ly/4oRZuCC

We are very proud to announce that the Chair of our Board of Visitors, David Isaac CBE, has been awarded a life peerage in yesterday's Political Peerage list. Thank you for all your work on behalf of the Pitt Rivers Museum.

Crafted by an unknown Pashtun embroiderer, this gun cover was found in an Afghan-run textile shop in Pakistan's Shinwari Plaza. Rich with silk, mirrors & metal thread work, it was created for utility and beauty, exemplifying how craft can sustain identity and culture, even amid war and uncertainty.

Not your average cutlery drawer... Ranging from utilitarian ladles to tiny scooped spoons, some worn by practical use and others only intended for decoration, a collection of humble and not so humble utensils, this drawer of spoons makes a beautiful display.

Our wonderful winter family trail launches today! Find the snowflakes hidden around the galleries and learn about objects from snowy environments. Pick up a trail in the museum or download from the website. www.prm.ox.ac.uk/event/wonder...