Housing over 600,000 objects, photographs and manuscripts from almost every country in the world and from all period of human existence, the displays – showing over 55,000 artefacts – are organised by type, rather than geographical region or time period. This typological arrangement can function as a 'democracy of things' and encourage global cross-cultural reflection and celebration of human creativity and cultural diversity.
Find out more about our conservation interventions
Underpinning every aspect of Museum activity is the work of conservators. Conservators working with ethnographic objects use detailed examination to help objects tell their own stories. Does the presence of dirt or damage to an object result from original use, or has it occured during its time at the Museum? If a method of repair performed by an originating community is now causing deterioration of the object, is it justifiable to remove it? Browse our intriguing conservation case studies to get closer to the vital work of these professionals.
