Amazonian Feather works
in museum collections

>How did this sight come about?<

In 2003, at their third meeting, The General Directorate of Education and Culture for the EU decided that the cultural heritage of all non-European peoples should be systematically photographed and documented in European museums.

The first step was a piolot progect studying the feather work and *macreme* work of Amazon Basin Indians.

To accurately depict scientific photoraphs, one needs more then the ability to simply capture beautiful images. Thus, no professional photographers were hired for the project. Instead, educated historical ethnologists with a partifcular affinity for arts and crafts were chosen to take the photographs. These scientists were given a basic photography course prior to their mission.

With a total budget of one million euros (80% of which was for personell costs) 6 groups (each consisting of 2-3 scientists from different countries) set out to assess and record the collections of different countries.

  1. Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Northern Germany
  2. Belgium, The Netherlands, Northern France, Western Germany
  3. Southern France, Austria, Switzerland, Southern Germany
  4. Portugal, Spain, Italy
  5. England, Northern France, Scotland
  6. Hungary, Poland, The Czech Republic, Eastern Germany

The participating scientists were required to speak at least two languages and to be able to read at least four languages. An additional language would be learned over the course of the project.

After the Dutch, Danish and the Ethnological museum of Göteborg and Paris had accumulated ample experience with converting their collections to a digital format they held numerous meetings. At these meetings, they discused a practical method for the teams to gather and organize information on location.

The project lasted for two years. Durring this time all museum feather work collections were photographed and digitally documented. The information was then classified into a general catalouge as well as collection documents and photographs. The results were saved as picture files (JPG-format) and sent to each museum. The museums then integrated the information into their individual databank systems.

Right, as of now it isn’t exactly like this, but it could be in the future!

This photo archive is the basic element of a scientific my research project at the (Institute for Comparative Cultural Research, Religious Science and Ethnology at the Philipps-University, DE-35032 Marburg Professor Mark Münzel) with the working title „Changes and Constants in Feather Work of the Brazilian indians: Documentation of Social and Cultural Assimilation“

I haven’t received any financial support form any third parties.

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