Send message to Author

Paper short abstract

The Ainu collection in the Ethnographic Museum in Berlin This collaborative project focuses on analyzing the Ainu collection, comprising around 1,000 objects, in terms of origin, age, materiality, and functionality, as well as presenting the research findings in exhibitions in Japan and Berlin.

Paper long abstract

Research and exhibition project: The Ainu collection in the Ethnographic Museum in Berlin

This collaborative project focuses on analyzing the entire Ainu collection, comprising around 1,000 objects from the Department of East and North Asia, in terms of origin, age, materiality, and functionality, as well as presenting the research findings in exhibitions in both Japan and Berlin.

The Ainu collection at the Ethnological Museum in Berlin is not only one of the largest of its kind, but also unique in its composition, as its diversity of objects provides a good overview of Ainu culture in Hokkaido and Sakhalin in the second half of the 19th century.

In 2024 a team of researchers from the National Ainu Museum came to Berlin to visit the Ethnological Museum and its collections. The primary task was to prepare the loan of the Berlin objects for the co-operative exhibition planned as part of the Japan World Expo 2025. The focus was on those objects that were exhibited at the 1873 World's Fair in Vienna in 1873, returning to Hokkaido for the first time in 150 years. The objects were displayed as the centerpiece of the exhibition “Ainu Collection at the Vienna World Exhibition 1873” in Hokkaido in 2025.

Research on other Ainu objects from the EM collection will continue in collaboration over the next few years. The initial focus will be on analyzing the materials and techniques used in the production of Ainu textiles and garments. The aim is to identify clues related to production dates, periods of use, and manufacturing locations. Research outcomes will be disseminated through academic publications. The report will include measurements, material types, patterns, and detailed images of each item. It will also feature garment illustrations and diagrams to enable contemporary reproduction, thereby supporting the continuation of traditional techniques.