Paper short abstract:

This paper is about the historical and current display of the colonial Dryad collection and the continuing Eurocentric decorative arts perspective that permeates it display, interpretation and use from the 1930s until today.

Paper long abstract:

This paper analyses the changing displays of African objects in the Dryad Collection, a colonial collection made by Harry Peace in the 1920s and 30s to educate UK teachers about 'handicraft' skills before and after entering the Leicester Museums Service. It will argue for the need of multiple voices from Africa and beyond and firm curatorial understanding and decision-power to address inequalities of representation, also in money-strapped museum services. After introducing this collection, its biography of use and display, before and after entering the museum, it will focus on the current display in the World Arts Gallery of New Walk Museum, as opened in 2006. The collection entered the museum service in 1969 as a school loans collection, only to be assessed into the permanent collection in 1988. In the redisplay of parts of the museum in 2006, the World Arts Gallery was opened, replacing partly former decorative arts displays. A Eurocentric decorative arts perspective was chosen for its interpretation and display with some disturbing implicit assumptions on artistic creativity in Africa's past without much understanding of the wide diversity of the African continent. Several attempts have been made in the past to address this gallery, including the current intervention of the Global Artists - The Whole World Paints project, and its problematic display is finally recognised by sr management. However, the proposed focus on local voices for a newly to-be-developed 'community gallery' and future choice to operate without curatorial staff might create serious challenges.