ABSTRACT

Collectionsofethnographicobjectssituneasilyinstorageorondisplayin museumsaroundtheworld-manywithstorieslongforgotten,otherswith pastsshamefullyremembered.Theglobalestimateofculturalmaterials heldbymuseumsisover4.5millionartefacts;morethan80%ofthese objectsareinadequatelydocumented.1Recentconcernswith representation,repatriationanddeaccessioningaccompaniedbythe realitiesofshrinkingbudgets,reductionsincuratorialstaffandincreasingly crowdedstoragefacilitiesmakemaintainingexistingcollections,aswellas continuedcollecting,controversialtopics.