Exhibition on 150 years of the Museum of Ethnology in Dresden

The Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (SKD) are dedicating a retrospective of 150 years of collection history to their Museum of Ethnology. From this Friday, selected objects, stories and people who have shaped the museum from its beginnings to the present day will be presented in the Japanese Palace in the city on the Elbe, the SKD announced. Instead of a chronological retrospective, the exhibition will focus on specific themes.

Exhibits from all over the world

"Unique nephrite and jade objects, which attracted worldwide attention in the 19th century due to their material, and soapstone figures from Dresden's electoral collection will be presented," it said.

Jewelry from North Africa would document the interest in collecting at the beginning of the 20th century. Objects from Cameroon, Vietnam and Chile represent the exhibition and research interest during the GDR era. Feather ornaments from Brazil and ceramics from Tunisia provide insights into research trips and collaborations after 1990.

Dresden collection has a centuries-old tradition

The origins of the Dresden collection date back to the 16th century. In 1560, the Saxon Elector August I founded a Kunstkammer. "The objects collected by him and his successors show the need for representation of the princely court and the preference for exotic and curious objects," the SKD describe the collection on their website.

Since the 18th century, objects have been systematically collected according to scientific criteria. The museum was founded in 1875. Today, it has around 100,000 objects.