Best Ethnographic Sites?
 

Vandoo's post about the museum "Les Invalides" brings to mind that there are many Ethnographic sites all over the world with fascinating items to see and enjoy.

We have a wonderful cross section of people with common interests on this Forum.

I would like to get opinions of places our members have been, or would like to go, and why. It would also be really great if we could know a bit more about where each member lives and what he or she might recommend seeing that might even be in their home city.

Anne and I intend to begin traveling soon. I think that it would be wonderful to meet some members and get a close look at some of their favorite places.

We have visited a few places and while there is little in Atlanta, unless you count the American Civil War from the Southern or Confederacy side, we can recommend the Micheal C. Carlos Museum at Emory University. We know the curator of African art from Capetown and the Curator of Egyptian.

Also the High Museum that has a good permanent African art collection. The curator there is very knowledgeable in African and particularly Burkina Faso. She is an initiate of the "People of the Do."

Museums we have visited and highly recommend are the "de Young," (Fantastic Oceanic and PNG items) The "Asian" in San Francisco.

The Metropolitan in New York and the Smithsonian in Washington DC.

Where have you been and what do you recommend? Whether weapons or artifacts?

I've always wanted to go to the KIT. Their collections seem to be extensive.

http://www.tropenmuseum.nl/

Peabody Essex Museum in Salem Mass.

Higgins Armory Worcester Mass. (I have yet to visit) :o

The Hermitage St. Petersburg RU.

Kremlin Museum Moscow RU.

I'll be up in MA near the RI border and hope to put in enough time to make it over to the Higgins it will a bit of a drive but I am sure it will be worth it.

I missed this part but there is Agecroft Hall here. A tudor home taken apart and brought over from England and reassembled that is a nice place to stop. It has a great deal of period art and furniture. Next door to that is the Virginia house a 12th century home that was the Priory of the Augustinian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem in Warwick and also was taken apart and brought over here.

If you get up to Canada, I can suggest the Royal Ontario Museum and Casa Loma in Toronto. The ROM has an extensive asian collection with emphasis on China and Japan, a sizable native Indian section, and also a fairly large weapons and war exhibit. I'd suggest you visit it after June 2007 when the new additions will be complete. Casa Loma, a small castle - the fancy of Sir Henry Pellat, Commander of the Queen's Own Rifles regiment - also has a weapons room if I recall correctly. You can also visit Fort York, the remains of an old garrison.
In Quebec City I recommend the Citadel and there are various other musea in the old city.

In Romania I've visited the National Military Museum in Bucharest, which has a very nice and large collection basically covering the entire military history of the Romanian people. The Peles Palace in Sinaia is a wonder to see, with a phenomenal hunting/arms hall full of weapons from around the world and all times :). Then again, if you get to that part of the world, there's LOTS to see in Romania and the neighbouring countries.

Emanuel

The Topkapi is someplace I'd like to visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topkapi_Palace

IN MY AREA THERE ARE QUITE A FEW MUSEUMS DEALING WITH THE OLD WEST. THERE ARE SOME GOOD COLLECTIONS OF NATIVE AMERICAN ARTEFACTS MIXED IN WITH ART AND WESTERN ITEMS. IN TOWN THERE IS PHILBROOK (ART AND INDIAN POTTERY WITH A FEW WEAPONS), GILCREASE (MOSTLY ART BUT SOME ETHINOGRAPHIC ITEMS AND A LOT OF NATIVE AMERICAN ITEMS FROM SPIRO MOUNDS) ,THE ORIENTAL ARTS MUSEUM (MOSTLY MODERN CHINESE ART WITH A FEW GOOD OLD ITEMS)

IN CLAREMORE 25 MILES AWAY THERE IS THE DAVIS GUN MUSEUM (BILLED AS THE LARGEST PRIVATE COLLECTION OF GUNS IN THE WORLD) IT ALSO HAS SOME EDGED WEAPONS , NATIVE AMERICAN ITEMS AS WELL AS OTHER INTERESTING ITEMS. THE WILL RODGERS MUSEUM (WESTERN ITEMS, NATIVE AMERICAN AND WILL RODGERS ITEMS)

NORTH OF TULSA IS THE WOLAROCK MUSEUM (MY FAVORITE IT HAS GUNS, EDGED WEAPONS,NATIVE AMERICAN AND OTHER NEAT ITEMS) I ESPECIALLY LIKE THE OLD HUNTING LODGE WHERE THE EARLY OIL MEN AND CELEBRITYS USED TO HANG OUT AND GAMBLE. THE HISTORY OF THE PHILLIPS RANCH IS VERY INTERESTING BY ITS SELF.

THERE ARE NUMEROUS OTHER SMALL MUSEUMS AROUND THE STATE FROM A BARBED WIRE MUSEUM TO A LININ MUSEUM. THERE IS A SMALL MUSEUM IN OKLAHOMA CITY THAT HAS SOME INCERDIBLE ITEMS FROM WW2 IN IT. THE MUSEUM IS ABOUT THE UNIT THAT TOOK HITLERS EAGLES NEST AND BROUGHT BACK LOTS OF SOUVINEERS FROM THERE.

ITS DIFFICULT TO SAY WHICH MUSEUMS IN OTHER COUNTRYS ARE BEST AS THERE ARE SO MANY GOOD ONES. THE BRITISH MUSEUM IN LONDON IS GREAT, WARRWICK CASTLE UP NEAR STRATFORD IS VERY GOOD THE GREAT HALL IS NOT TO BE MISSED, LOTS OF WEAPONS THRU OUT AS WELL AS A GHOST AND A VERY CREEPY DUNGEON. THE KROLLER MULLER MUSEUM (NETHERLANDS OR GERMANY :confused: ) IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE A GOOD ETHINOGRAPHIC COLLECTION BUT I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO SEE IT BUT DID SEE THE BEST VAN GOUGH PAINTINGS I HAVE SEEN THERE.
THERE IS A ETHINOGRAPHIC MUSEUM IN PARIS THAT HAS SOME VERY GOOD EXAMPLES OF AFRICAN AND OCEANIC ART AND WEAPONS. THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM IN PARIS IS THE OLD FASHONED KIND I LIKE BEST AND HAS SOME GREAT SPECIMINS. THE OTHER ARMS MUSEUM I MENTIONED IN PARIS IS ALSO VERY GOOD BUT DEALS WITH MILITARY AND COURT ITEMS NOT ETHINOGRAPHIC. THERE ARE MANY MORE BUT I WILL END HERE FOR NOW.

Pitt-Rivers Museum, Oxford. Examples from many cultures, but probably the best Naga collection in the world.

The Smithsonian, at least the National Museum of Natural History, is surprisingly deficient in ethnographic weaponry. On display there are only perhaps two cases of weapons (most being mixed-use tools/weapons). They do have more in their stacks, but from what I saw of their Southeast Asian collection a couple years back, it is very patchy.

I have not see the collections of the Freer or Shackler galleries, but if what is on display is any indication, they are thin in the weapons area as well. The Freer has one middle eastern dagger on display (I forget where it is from exactly), and the Shackler only has a handful of ceremonial stone axe heads on display.

There is one magnificent Thai sword on display at the Museum of American history, in an out-of-the-way case containing various items given to Presidents by foreign heads of state. The Thai sword has a blade resembling that of a katana, but of damascus. Beautifully mounted.

Calgary Alberta, Canada has the Glenbow Museum. Half of the 4th foor is dedicated to arms and armour from many cultures. The museum is particularily strong in Japanese arms and armour but very little of it is actually on display. Still, the sections on swords and clubs from all cultures is great.

For those who like military stuff there is also the Musuem of the Regiments, HMCS Tecumseh Calgary Naval Museum and the Calgary Air Museum, - all located in Calgary. The M ofthe Regiments and the Naval museum are exceptional.

Cheers,

Greg

http://www.prm.ox.ac.uk/collections.html

This looks really good. Having some problems accessing links, but looks like they have some incredible items. I also like their idea of display. MIght be something to use for our collections.


Type of display

In most ethnographic and archaeological museums the displays are arranged according to geographical or cultural areas. In the Pitt Rivers Museum they are arranged 'typologically' (according to type): musical instruments, weapons, masks, textiles, jewellery, and tools are all displayed in groups to show how the same problems have been solved at different times by different peoples. This unusual layout developed from the General's theories concerning the evolution of ideas. You can find not only what may be regarded as beautiful or valuable but also many examples of simple, everyday objects which reveal how people have lived and thought. This gives the collection a unique quality since it contains material not usually treasured or preserved. A large percentage of the collection is on show.

The Pitt Rivers still retains its Victorian atmosphere. The cluttered cases, the original small handwritten labels and the absence of intrusive text-panels all contribute to the special experience it offers. Visitors interested in psychology, sociology, medicine, arts and crafts, comparative religion, music, in fact almost any profession or hobby, will find plenty to intrigue them. It is also a fascinating place for those studying changing historical attitudes.

There are other Musea here that I want to see also. Will do some more research.

http://www.tropenmuseum.nl/smartsite...ch=FAB&id=5853

Here is their website in english. I think this is the museum that Dajak (Ben) and VVV (Michael) have mentioned. It would be great to plan a trip there and perhaps meet members who live nearby and know their way around this Museum.

http://www.lacitadelle.qc.ca/section.php?lang=en&id=4

I wish I had posted this thread sooner. Did not know about this museum when we visited Quebec City last year. We found Quebec a bit difficult to navigate because english is not common and we don't speak french. It would have been better to have known someone there who could help us find and visit interesting places.

And it would be great to meet members of this forum and see personal collections.

Let me know if y'all (Southern expression for "you all") ever visit Atlanta Georgia (the one in the USA). I could take you to visit my friend Dent Meyers "Wildman" Civil War collection.

"The Best Little War House in Kennesaw" (Georgia)

http://www.wildmans-shop.com/

For internet visits I also recommend Leiden and their collection database.

http://www.rmv.nl/index.aspx?lang=en

Michael

I saw it years ago as a kid, but I will certainly go there again perhaps in summer. They have a very large collection.

It's great that technology is being embraced by so many musea, and that they are digitizing their collections. It will certainly facilitate research in the future.
I just went to the ROM today and it was a disappointment. Most of the ethno exhibits are closed off due to renovations, so if anyone is planning to drop by Toronto, put it off until late summer.
Emanuel

Museums
 

For a trip, Paris is a center of ethnographic art with all its specialised galeries in the city itself or in the Saint Ouen Flea Market, on its periphery. For the museums, the recently opened Museum of Quai Branly shouldn't be missed even if some may not like the way the pieces are displayed there. This museum has one of the biggest, if not the biggest, collection of primitive art. On its 300 000 pieces collected, only 3 000 are exhibited. It has a branch in the Louvre Museum with one hundred primitive art masterworks displayed there that should not be missed either - among them, an extraordinary Paiwan central house pillar.
Here is the link to the museum (most of its collections can be seen online):
http://www2.quaibranly.fr/index.php?id=accueil
In Taipei, where I live, ethnographic museums or exhibits are very small and limited to the formosan aboriginal art (we had one temporary exhibit of African primitive art few years ago). The Shungyi Museum of Formosan Art is the easiest to visit as it is located nearly next to the National Palace Museum and very well organised. Then, there is mostly the National Taiwan Museum, the Taiwan National University Exhibit Hall (only open 4 h a week) and the Academia Sinica (closed for a while as it is going through renovation works).

Several more museums to visit, I'm surprised some of these have yet to be mentioned.

Newark Museum- One of the finest collections of Tibetan items in the Western Hemisphere (at least on display, the Smithsonian Anthropology archives has some top notch stuff but it's all packed away) They have a magnificent Ottoman dagger in quasi-Sino-Tibetan mounts. Really interesting as well as some Indonesian and other items. Worth the visit if you want to brave downtown Newark. Not so bad really.

Walters Museum of Art (Baltimore)- World class quality Islamic arms and armor, some fine Japanese items, and some European.

Art Institute of Chicago- Awesome section on European arms and armor. They have some wonderful stuff in the archives also.

Museum of Cultural History (Oslo)- great ethnographic collection. I'm always surprised by how much is in Scandinavia, and Norway in particular, until you realize they were part of the Danes for so long and the seafaring merchants and burghers of Oslo must have brought back loads of stuff as well.

Forsvarsmuseet (Oslo)- A great military museum with quite a few ethnographic items in the mix. Main focus on Europe but a real cracker jack collection, with awesome cannons especially. One of the only real sled cannons I've seen in person.

Many more out there. A comprehensive list would be ideal. But not enough time...

While I don't have a list of museums, other than the Smithsonian in DC, I do have a lot of links to other ethnographic weapons sites on my website. The
specific page is:

http://japaneseswordindex.com/world.htm

Hope you find some of the links useful. A few may be out of date as I haven't done a full link check for my entire site in a long time. No doubt most of you know about many of them already.

Rich S

A must when in the region (Brussels/Belgium): http://www.africamuseum.be/home?set_language=en&cl=en

Unfortunately it just closed its doors for a three year renovation period.

With an online collection database: http://www.africamuseum.be/collectio...humansciences/

So when you visit Belgium there is also the musee africain de Namur, not as big as the Africamuseum in Brussels but surely worth a visit. There are lots of weapons on display. http://www.museeafricainnamur.be

To stay in Belgium...a couple of shots from weapons on display in the Afrika Museum (former Congo Museum) in Tervuren/Brussels.