Ethnological Collection

The collection, founded between 1890 and 1910, now belongs to the Ethnological Department of the Institute of Asian and Oriental Studies. It comprises about 4,000 ethnographica, about 2,500 glass plate slides, as well as 250 watercolors and drawings. The permanent exhibition in the Fünfeckturm (pentagonal tower) of the castle shows a selection that reflects the regional focus of the collection – the Pacific and Amazon. Highlights include Shipibo-Conibo clay vessels from Peru and Malanggan carvings from the Southwest Pacific. An outstanding piece in the collection is a wall panel - known as the "Poupou" - being the ancestral representation of Hinematioro, a Maori princess. It is said that the panel was given to the delegation on James Cook's first voyage to the South Seas (1768-1771) by the Maori. For conservation purposes, it is exhibited only on special occasions. Important objects of the collection are documented in the eMuseum of the MUT.

To the collection in the eMuseum (selection)