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Naprstek Museum

Náprstkovo Muzeum
Established	1946
Location	Prague
Director	PhDr.Eva Dittertová
Website	Museum Website

The Naprstek Museum is a museum of Asian, African and American art in the city of Prague. It is part of the Prague National Museum. It was founded by Vojta Náprstek (1826--1894).

Origin and brief history

In 1826 the Fingerhuts bought the old Prague building U Halánků with a brewery and distillery, which within a matter of years their older son Vojtěch was to make famous literally throughout the whole world.

In 1848, after the overthrow of the revolution in Vienna and Prague, VOJTA NÁPRSTEK(1826 -- 1894) sought refuge from police persecution for ten years in the United States of America, where he gained experience and understanding which he tried after his return home to repay with interest to the benefit of Czech society. One of his most important activities was the construction of the private Czech Industrial Museum, which was supposed to help underdeveloped Czech manufacturing. Before long, the museum and library became the centre of the Czech intelligentsia, and, thanks to Náprstek’s contacts amongst Czechs living outside their own country, was celebrated even abroad. Apart from exhibits of things technical, the museum also accumulated ethnographic and artistic artefacts, which Náprstek’s friends and travellers brought from all around the world. After his death the museum became ethnographic, and after 1946 its bearing was orientated purely towards non-European culture.

Long-term Exhibitions

America

American collections of Naprstek Museum illustrate cultural-historical progress of Native America from the Prehistory, through Antiquity, the Modern Period, to the Present. The Museum acquired its exhibits in several ways; they were collected by the Museum curators – ethnographs and archaeologists -- during their academic research field work or by travelers with expertise and by collectors, and also by those who did not have a long-term or systematic interest in the subject. The last mentioned group would bring or send Native American artifacts to the Czech lands as souvenirs from exotic lands. The accompanying documentation - that ideally comes with the artifacts - pertaining to an ethnic origin, provenance and an age of the Museum artifacts had a similar complicated background. The researchers and laypeople did not necessarily bring the artifacts directly from the area where the Native Americans made them and used them; many were received through an intermediary. They could have been bought in a store with exotic goods or they may have been exchanged with another collector. From the foregoing it is sometimes difficult to state the exact place of origin. Sometimes the original reliable documentation was lost as various institutions transferred their old American collections amongst each other. It is then up to museum curators to use a comparative research to classify correctly the artifacts into their contexts. With a few exceptions, such as a gift of Mexican folk art from the Mexican Government in the 1980s, the Náprstek Museum American collections were collected by experts and amateurs originally from the Czech lands who all respected Indians – Native Americans – and who admired Native cultural heritage. The Naprstek Museum American Collection is a result of an effort of many generations, and it contains collection sets and individual objects of a historical, cultural and an artistic value, and that are also significant on a worldwide scale.

Conception

Survey of cultural- geographical regions of both American subcontinents showing a selection of artifacts from the original collection sets of the Náprstek Museum. There is also a parallel presentation of archaeological and ethnographical collections in the section devoted to Latin America (Rooms No. 3 and 4).

Exposition History

The exposition was opened in two phases: in 1983 and 1986, and has been updated and reconstructed and the exhibits on display changed. In 2009 Room 1 was innovated: the content of the display case was changed and new artifacts were added together with new text panels and new photographs. Models of houses and of large objects such as an arctic sled, a kayak and a totem pole were added to the original exhibits. Vertical Venetian blinds are used now, and exhibit descriptions were printed directly on the glass display cases – a part of this innovation.

• Exhibition - Room 1. Arctic, Northwest Coast, California and Southwest of North America.
  The introductory panel explains the new trends in terminology of naming the Native Americans who refuse to be called Indians and Eskimos because they consider these terms discriminatory. Most of the exhibits date back to the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. In the new innovated concept the exhibits are displayed as the products of a cultural change during which the Native cultures diffused with Western Euro American culture. As a result of this diffusion the traditional cultures were changing accepting new impulses, new technology and materials. Subsequent developments in modern times are evidenced by examples of modern production including souvenirs. The transformation of the traditional communities into modern ones are explained by the texts on the textile panels and supplemented by photographs. The exhibits in the room are mainly collections of experts. The Vojtěch Suk Collection includes clothing of the Inuit from Labrador, 1926-27, Jiří Jaeger Collection: carving in walrus tusk and clothing of the Inuit from Labrador, 1914-1918; Nelly Rasmussenová Collection: Inuit modern production from Baffin Island, gathered in 1984. North America: Northwest: Tadeo Haenke Collection: woodcarvings, baskets and a hat of Tlingit from 1791; Filip Oberländer Collection: woodcarving of Nootka, baskets of Salish from 1909; artifact samples from Josef II. Colorado-Mansfeld Collection on loan from Opočno Château, property of the Czech National Heritage Institute: carvings and baskets from 1904 – 1905; Tlingit mask, artist Adolf Hoffmeister Collection. California: Collection of the Compatriots in the US, 2nd half of 19th Century: cradles, baskets, caps, bows and arrows. Southwest: František Pospíšil Collection: pottery and kachina wood carvings, 1931.
• Exhibition - Room 2. Great Plains, Prairies and the Eastern Woodlands.
  The exhibits on display date to 19th Century. Vojta Náprstek Collection dominates the room: painted bison coat, parts of clothing, woodcarvings, weapons and pipes of the Dakotas collected in 1856. The origins of the rest of the sets come mainly from the Czech immigrants living in the US who brought them for Vojta Náprstek museum when they came to see the opening of the National Theatre in 1885 and on other social occasions.
• Exhibition - Room 3. Mexico and Central America.
  The display cases along the perimeter of the room have Ancient Civilizations objects (Colima-Nayarit, Olmec, Zapotec – Monte Alban, Toltec, Aztec, and Maya, etc.) from the collection of August Genin, a French amateur archeologist: ancient Mexican ceramic and stone sculptures and stone instruments. Other objects are from Jakub Beer Collection: ancient Central American ceramic plastic that was originally given to the Czech Royal Museum in 1856. Beer was an amateur archaeologist and the Grand Master of the Order of Knight of the Cross. The circular display case in the center of this room contains a sample of Mexican folk culture – folk costumes, pottery, lacquered gourds, wood carved masks in cloth costumes, ritual objects. from Josef Rutta, a diplomat, from a Collection of Milan Calábek. Some objects were gathered in the 1970s (Collection of Josef Rutta, a diplomat and Collection of Milan Calábek, a dramaturg) and the majority were a gift from the Mexican Government in the 1980s.
• Exhibition - Room 4. South America.
  This room displays some of the significant pre-Columbian cultures from several regions in Peru (Nazca, Moche, Chimú, Chancay, and Inca), Bolivia (Tiahuanaco) and Chile (Arica) with artifacts of pottery, sculptures made of stone and textile production. There are also artifacts from the colonial era of Spanish and Portugal rule. Material culture of the contemporary native population of Peru and Bolivia - Quechua and Aymara – is also on display: their traditional folk costumes and musical instruments. One whole case contains cultural exhibits of the original population of Amazonia. The visitors may see objects of everyday use such as household utensils: baskets, containers made of gourds or of clay, a grater and a manioc press and others, as well as weapons: bows and arrows, blowgun, and quiver and darts, and also various decorative items made of feathers, seeds and tectrices (beetle wings). There are also ceremonial artifacts such as a snuffing tube for an inhalation of hallucinogenic powder. Musical instruments are represented by whistles, rattles, and a drum. Most of the exhibits from this region were obtained for the Museum by Enrique Stanko Vráz, a Czech traveller, while exploring the Orinoco and the Amazon at the end of the 19th Century. Alberto Vojtěch Frič, a well-known Czech explorer, contributed to the Museum with the collections from the areas of Gran Chaco and Mato Grosso, where he travelled several times in the early 20th Century. On his travels he met tribal members of Shavante, Pilagá, Toba, Angaité, Sanapaná, Chamacoco, Kaduveo and Bororo, whose culture de facto disappeared or was dramatically altered as a result of Western Civilization intrusion. Unfortunately, most of Frič Collections ended in the Museums in St. Petersburg, Berlin, Hamburg and New York. The final section of the South American Exhibition shows the material and spiritual culture of the Mapuche tribe from Chile. There are artifacts of daily use such as wooden pots, leather bags, woolen clothing, etc., and also those of ceremonial character such as masks and shaman pole. The objects on the display were collected by Milan Stuchlík and Václav Šolc in the 2nd half of the 20th century.

Australian and Oceanian Cultures

Original exhibitis illustrating life and culture of ethnics living in these areas. The origin of the Aboriginal peoples in Australia has been the subject of intense speculation since the nineteenth century. Unfortunately no theory of migration has gained wide acceptance and genetic studies have not proven any close relationship to any other racial group in the world. Some scholars have proposed theories of kinship with groups in South Asia whereas others have proposed a more direct migration from Africa only passing through South Asia.

Current Exhibitions

Around the World in 299 Days

The collection of historical photographs of the Náprstek Museum contains numerous photopictures donated by the traveller Josef Kořenský and Karel Řezníček who accompanied Kořenský during his travel around the world in 1893-1894.

However, Josef Kořenský was not the author of the pictures. He made purchased from professional photographers who specialized in taking pictures and selling them to foreigners and tourists. The professional photographers were able to provide a large variety of topics from their vast supplies, such as pictures of architecture monuments, nature and countryside, still-life, art and museum exhibits, street snapshots (often pre-arranged), and studio shots.

Nowadays, these photographs represent a valuable source of information about foreign countries in the end of the 19th century.

Restoring of items from Japanese collection

The Japanese collection of the Náprstek Museum is very large and represents time and money demanding task for restoring. Original beauty is returned to many items e.g. to vertical scrolls, sword blades and textile items with the help of a special programme of integrated collection preservation organized by the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic. The Japanese side also participates in restoring selected masterpieces all over the world.

Examples of antique Japanese art in overseas collections have long played the role of „Japanese cultural ambassador“ to other countries and cultures. However, quite a few of these works have fallen into disrepair in their overseas homes due to climatic conditions that differ from those of Japan or from damage that has occurred while on public display.

Restoration process

In 1991, the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs began cooperative Program for the Conservation of Japanese Art Objects Overseas with the aim of bringing art works in need back to Japan for conservation treatment.

As for the items conserved for the National Museum - Náprstek Museum of Asian, African and American Cultures it was a screen depicting Hogen monogatari that was restored in the years 2006-2007 in the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties and then in 2009 within the seminar on restoring Japanese lacquerware in Köln a small tea caddy was also restored for the Japanese collection of the Náprstek Museum (inv.no. 34 698, 18th century).

In the year 2009-2011 a lacquered cabinet with lozenge design, 17th century, lacquered wood with mother-of –pearl inlaid decoration, dimensions: h. 25.4 cm, w. 37.3 cm, d. 25.1 cm, (inv.no. 34 942) was restored in Tokyo.

Lacquered cabinet with lozenge design

Condition before treatment (treatment period: June 2009 - March 2011):
Grime and dust adhered to the surface overall and the ground lacquer joints revealed shallow cracking. Western coating materials had been applied over a wide area and it had discoloured to a yellowish tone. Previous repair attempts had included re-attachment of mother-of-pearl pieces and the addition of new pieces of mother-of-pearl. Some of the areas of makie and drawn lines had lifted and fallen away, while areas of added abrasive intervention in Western coating materials were visible.

Treatment overview:
Grime and dust were removed from the surface and solvent was used to carefully remove Western coating materials. Aqueous animal glue solution was infused to reattach areas of lifted mother-of-pearl. The white ground that had been filled in around the mother-of-pearl segments was removed. Clear lacquer was applied to strengthen the weakened lacquer ground and makie areas. Mugi-urushi was infused into areas of cracking and splitting in the basis joints to strengthen them. The areas of missing substrate were filled with kokuso lacquer paste.
Many thanks to the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo, for the interest in the items proving high quality of the Japanese decorative art and crafts in the collection of the Náprstek Museum and namely for the restoring them into their original beauty.

Departments, People & Contacts

Department	Name	Email	Phone
Asian Arts and Crafts	PhDr. Dagmar Pospíšilová, CSc.	dagmar_pospisilova@nm.cz	+420 224 497 519
Care of Colections	Ing. Jana Kadeřábková	jana_kaderabkova@nm.cz	+420 224 497 506
IT and Technical Service	Jiří Hanžlík	jiri_hanzlik@nm.cz	+420 224 497 505
Náprstek Museum Library	PhDr. Milena Secká, CSc.	milena_secka@nm.cz	+420 224 497 513
Non-European Ethnography	PhDr. Jiřina Todorovová, CSc.	jirina_todorovova@nm.cz	+420 224 497 516
Non-European Numismatics	PhDr. Vlastimil Novák, Ph.D.	vlastimil_novak@nm.cz	+420 224 497 530
Public Relations	Mgr. Lucie Čechová	lucie_cechova@nm.cz	+420 224 497 511
Prehistory and Antiquity of the Near East and North Africa	PhDr. Pavel Onderka	pavel_onderka@nm.cz	+420 224 497 523