Ethnological collections and Asian art

Bronze and ivory reliefs from the Kingdom of Benin, wooden figures and masks from Cameroon, aesthetically outstanding sculptures from the Congo and leather clothing from Namibia decorated with iron and glass beads are among the best-known and most unusual works from Africa to be found in Berlin. However, many of them left the African continent as a result of colonial conquest and rule. The exhibitions of the Ethnologisches Museum’s Africa Collections in the Humboldt Forum raise pressing questions concerning the societies in Africa from which the artefacts originated, the conditions under which they were collected, and the dilemmas in which the relevant parties in Africa found themselves. They demand a cooperative examination of the history of colonialism and its effects right up to the present day.

The exhibition area paints a comprehensive picture of historical and contemporary Native American cultures. Highlights include collections from the central and southern Andean region, the impressive Cotzumalhuapa stelae from present-day Guatemala, two totem poles from First Nations in British Columbia and collections from early explorers of the Amazon region. A separate exhibition space is devoted to a diverse collection of ceramics from North, Meso- and South America, as well as collections from the plains and prairies of North America.

The third floor is dedicated to the art and culture of the largest continent on earth. Collections from the Ethnologisches Museum and the Museum für Asiatische Kunst are brought together here for the first time, creating a dialogue where contemporary art meets centuries-old masterpieces. Experience the art of the Chinese court in a spectacular throne room, watch a Japanese tea ceremony, admire reconstructed Buddhist cave temples painted 1500 years ago, immerse yourself in the world of Indo-Islamic gardens, experience the fascination of the religious rituals surrounding India’s divine sculptures or get to know the fantastic theatre traditions of Southeast Asia and the diversity of Islamic life.

The Pacific is the largest ocean in the world and in the vast expanse of the sea, the islands of Oceania seem small and isolated. For the indigenous population, however, the sea was never a barrier. For many, it is part of their identity, even today. Their ancestors traveled great distances and were the first people to discover the Pacific islands. The boats in the Humboldt Forum bear witness to their outstanding navigational and boat-building skills. Houses from Palau, as well as those of the Abelam people of Papua New Guinea, are an additional highlight in the Oceania exhibition area.