Manchester Museum - Ethnological Collections

Ethnological Collections

These are mainly from Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas: the total number of artefacts is about 16,000. In order of size the African comes first with nearly half the total, then the Oceanian which has about a quarter; after these the Asian collection and finally the American. The first large donation of material came from Richard Dukinfield Darbishire (1826–1908), beginning in 1904/05. During his remaining years Darbishire gave about 700 items, including ceramics from Peru and fine Eskimo carvings. In 1922 the large Oceanian and American collection of Charles Heape was donated by the collector: this amounted to about 1500 items. It included a comprehensive collection of weapons and paddles from the Pacific islands, mainly collected by missionaries and others, though some of the items from the Aborigines of Victoria were acquired while Heape was resident there. He probably did not collect items directly but acquired them later. More recently there is the Lloyd collection of Japanese metalwork, carvings and ceramics: these were the bequest of R. W. Lloyd who was also a benefactor of the entomological department. There are also two collections obtained in the field by professional anthropologists: Frank Willett collected pottery, masks and ritual regalia in Nigeria in 1956; Peter Worsley collected basketry and other items from the Wanindiljaugwa people of Groote Eylandt, Australia in 1952.