Here, even the most everyday object is exotic. A stuffed grain bag sits in a display case, its functionality overshadowed by its beautifully brocaded design and intricate pattern. As you leave behind the elegance of the Africa room and walk into the North America and Europe quadrant, you find yourself in what seems like a mishmash of metalwork, ceramics, glass, fiber and wood. It's organized by materials. There's a wood section, a glass section.
Baskets represent fiber, and so on.
It's not unusual to study objects based on their materials. A brightly lighted display case nearby shows off painted glass from Switzerland, colored brown glass from Italy and an intricately etched bottle from the Netherlands. A collection of outsider art hangs across the room from the display cases. The work serves two purposes, Carlano says. One, to represent the medium of paper, and also to sneak in a preview of her upcoming show on outsider art.