The Náprstek Museum of Asian, African and American Cultures
The Náprstek Museum received a total of 416 items in 416 increments, comprising 206 gifts, 2 items from old collections and 208 purchases to a total value of CZK 5,236,700. Purchases were funded from the National Museum’s budget and the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic's ISO/C grants Programme.
Important donations include a set of 164 slides and photographs from India and Africa from the 1970s.The most significant acquisitions were a set of 39 paintings on Buddhist themes from a private collection of items obtained in Mongolia and a set of 158 Amazonian Indian items from Peru. Smaller scale purchases include ceramics from Iran.
Preventive protection and treatment of the collections
From investment funds, new depository furniture for the collections from Oceania and ancient Egypt and for prints in the museum’s library was acquired. A new Canon EOS 80D digital camera was acquired for the restoration workshop. The cost of the restoration of jewellery from Tibet, which commenced the cooperation with the Higher Vocational School (VOŠ) in Turnov, was refunded from the funds for the conservation of collections. Archival envelopes and special boxes for the library were purchased for the museum’s archives. The largest share of the conservation and restoration work concerned the major exhibition Indians. Under the conservation and restoration plan, a total of 2913 collection items were treated.
Main tasks of the department
In addition to mandatory stocktaking, the planned quotas of which were met, the conclusion of the general revision of sub-collection 25, "Other non-European ethnography," was carried out. This work with the collection is emphasized because the collection items will be moved to the Central Depository in Horní Počernice in the future. At the same time, the curators participated in the selection of items for new exhibitions planned for the Náprstek Museum. In 2017 the successful exhibition concept defence took place, and currently the concepts are being elaborated.
Professional management of the collections
Regarding professional work, collections were documented in the form of published expert studies and monographs. In particular, sets of items from the Prehistoric and Ancient Middle East and Africa sub-collections, Asian and ethnographic sub-collections, and the Náprstek Museum Archives were processed.
Documentation of the collections
In 2017 the general revision of sub-collections 25, "Other non-European ethnography," was concluded.
Research service
Collections Department of the Náprstek Museum
In 2017, the Collections Department hosted 13 domestic and 10 foreign researchers. Domestic researchers studied a total of 736 items during 35 visits while foreign researchers surveyed 590 items during 14 visits.
Náprstek Museum Archives
54 research requests were filed in 2017, 11 by employees of the Náprstek Museum and 43 by visiting researchers. Foreign researchers numbered 16 and during 16 visits they borrowed 658 items. Domestic researchers borrowed 610 items during 124 research visits. In total, 1268 items were borrowed and the study room was visited 131 times.
Náprstek Museum Library
The number of registered library users was 59, of which 55 were domestic and 4 were foreign. The number of visits was 164 by domestic researchers and 33 by foreign researchers. A total of 819 items were presented to domestic researchers, and 157 to foreign researchers. The library provided 6 inter-library loans. A total of 50 consultations were carried out.