New Book: Returning Southeast Asia's Past: Objects, Museums, and Restitution

 Edited by Louise Tythacott and Panggah Ardiyansyah

With contributions from Gabrielle Abbe, Jos van Beurden, Socheat Chea, John Clarke, Charlotte Galloway, Chanraksmey Muong, Duyen Nguyen, Phacharaphorn Phanomvan, Melody Rod-ari, Wieske Octaviani Sapardan

The last 150 years has seen extensive looting and illicit trafficking of Southeast Asia's cultural heritage. Art objects from the region were distributed to museums and private collections around the world. But in the 21st century, power relations are shifting, a new awareness is growing, and new questions are emerging about the representation and ownership of Southeast Asian cultural material located in the West.

This book is a timely consideration of object restitution and related issues across Southeast Asia, bringing together different viewpoints including from museum professionals and scholars in Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia – as well as Europe, North America and Australia. The objects themselves are at the centre of most narratives - from Khmer art to the Mandalay regalia (repatriated in 1964), Ban Chiang archaeological material and the paintings of Raden Saleh. Legal, cultural, political and diplomatic issues involved in the restitution process are considered in many of the chapters; others look at the ways object restitution is integral to evolving narratives of national identity. The book's editors conclude that restitution processes can transform narratives of loss into opportunities for gain in building knowledge and reconstructing relationships across national borders.

"Every Southeast Asian country has a different experience of the loss of antiquities, but we all share in the deeply-felt benefits of contemporary restitution initiatives. This book makes an important contribution to bringing these questions out into the open."
- Dr. Phoeurng Sackona, Minister of Culture and Fine Arts, Cambodia

Louise Tythacott is the Woon Tai Jee Professor of Asian Art at Northumbria University, United Kingdom.

Panggah Ardiyansyah is an MPhil/PhD student of History of Art and Archaeology at SOAS University of London.

NUS Press

HASLEMERE EDUCATIONAL MUSEUM: Ethnographic Display Project

 Haslemere Educational Museum has recently received a donation from a charitable trust to upgrade and refurbish its ethnographic display case in the Human History Gallery. This upgrade is an aim of the Museum’s current Forward Plan for Collections Care and Management.

The Museum has a diverse ethnographic collection of about 4,000 objects from around the world, including large collections from Africa and South East Asia. The collection comprises a variety of object types including household goods, personal adornment, textiles, weaponry, tools, religious artefacts, etc. It is an unusual collection for a provincial museum, and some of the objects were collected by the Museum’s founder, Sir Jonathan Hutchinson FRS.

The permanent ethnographic display is presented in a full-height glass-fronted case, which was established almost twenty years ago. It now requires a comprehensive review, refresh of objects, re-display arrangements and improved interpretation. The display case measures 4.5m (length) x 1.8m (height) x 0.6m (depth).

The initial stage of the project will require an assessment of the ethnographic collection, which can be undertaken by a review of the collection database records. This process will highlight areas of interest to focus the selection of objects. The work will also include writing interpretation text and labels, and advising on display mounts and materials. Haslemere Museum wishes to engage the services of an ethnographic consultant to achieve a modern, professional, coherent display using the existing, but refreshed, display case. The Curator, Collections Team and Premises Manager, would support the work and requirements of the consultant during the process of the project. 

Although part of the project would need to be undertaken at the Museum, some of the work could be done remotely.

Please contact Haslemere Museum for further details:

Julia Tanner

Curator

Haslemere Educational Museum

78 High Street

Haslemere

Surrey

GU27 2LA

01428 642112

curator@haslemeremuseum.co.uk

www.haslemeremuseum.co.uk