Plimoth Patuxet Museums

The Plimoth Plantation will present “Adornment,” a major exhibition exploring the multiple meanings of personal embellishment in 17th century New England and the impact of clothing, cosmetics, jewelry, hairstyles, and body art on the cultural encounters of Native people and colonists. Plimoth Plantation will present this topic as one story of two peoples, examining how embellishment functioned in Wampanoag and English societies, and how nonverbal messages about race, gender, power, age, body image, social status, and spirituality were read or misread across those cultures. “Adornment” will include a catalog, activities room, teacher workshops, docent programs, film and lecture series, theatrical performances, online resources, and a traveling exhibit.