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Welcome to the World Cultures Gallery

FAQ

Question: What does World Cultures mean?

It is our name for traditional communities in every part of the world outside Europe. The museum galleries display various items made by these communities - everyday objects, important heirlooms, world-class art as well as things that were designed to last for only one event. Each object is visible evidence of the way people in different communities were born, lived and died. Some items are hundreds of years old, others were made during recent years.

Question: What is the aim of the galleries?

Our overall aim in producing these galleries is to increase an understanding between those who visit the displays and those people whose ways of life are being described here.

Question: How many objects are in the collection?

There are approximately 12,000 identified items in the collection.

Question: Do members of the public still donate material to the museum?

Yes they do. Donations are often made by people with a close connection to Exeter and Devon. However, there are exceptions. We sometimes accept donations if those items enhance our existing collection.

 

Question: I last visited the museum as a child. Now that I’m an adult will the museum be of interest to me?

Many who visit the museum have a positive experience regardless of age and education. Learning can be fun as it’s done in your own time. Entrance to the museum is free to any member of the public. Whether you have an interest in local or ancient history, issues of the modern world, sciences and the arts, the museum will have something that will excite you.

 

Question: Does the Museum have any experience of repatriating objects to their communities or countries of origin?

Yes it does. The Museum has been involved in the subject of repatriation since 1994. In 1997, shell jewellery believed to have belonged to Aboriginal heroine Trucanini, was returned to Tasmania. The Museum welcomes debate on this subject.

Question: Does the World Cultures collection contain any human remains?

Yes it has a very small collection. In recent years, the Museum has worked with indigenous communities so that remains can be safely returned where existing documentation and research can demonstrate provenance i.e. knowing where something comes from. Remains already have been returned to New Zealand and Australia. The ethnography collection cares for a small number of remains from Africa and Melanesia. These are stored appropriately and are not displayed. There are also objects that contain remains that have been culturally processed e.g. tsantsa from Peru, a skull drum from Tibet. These are displayed in an appropriate context. The Royal Albert Memorial Museum is a member of the Human Remains Subject Specialist Network and acts in accordance with the law, the codes of practice set by the Human Tissue Authority and the guidelines developed by DCMS. RAMM has also produced a policy related to its acquisition & disposal policy.

Question: How did these objects get to Exeter museum?

Many donations are made those people who lived and worked abroad. During their stay they would have acquired items as souvenirs, purchases or were given to them as gifts. There are occasions when donors have sometimes taken items without permission and the museum does possess a few items that were taken as loot during times of conflict. These stories are told in the new museum displays.

 

Question: Are all of the objects real?

All the objects on display in these galleries are real things, made and used by real people. Very few were made deliberately to be displayed to others, although some were.