The Irish Traditional Music Archive (ITMA) is committed to providing free, universal access to the rich cultural tradition of Irish music, song and dance. If you’re able, we’d love for you to consider a donation. Any level of support will help us preserve and grow this tradition for future generations.
A little-known component of the Irish Traditional Music Archive multimedia collections is its unique collection of small artefacts relating to Irish traditional music, items which arise from musical and dancing activity. ITMA views them as a natural, though secondary, part of the general culture of the music and dance.
The selection of artefacts presented here mostly consists of tourist trinkets and souvenirs, gifts for children, or by-products of the promotion of music groups and music venues. In the case of dancing dolls, they can form part of actual music performance. Common artefacts also held in the ITMA collections, but not presented here, are t-shirts, bags, calendars and stickers.
With thanks to donors Jim Carroll & Pat Mackenzie (dancing doll made by Norfolk traditional singer Walter Pardon, a tradition common to Britain and Ireland), Bill Ochs (Rogue beer bottle), and Tom Sherlock (Altan teddy bear). ITMA would always welcome donations of similar items.
Nicholas Carolan & Treasa Harkin, 1 June 2014
