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| Museum of Anthropology and Ethnology, São Paulo | |
|---|---|
| Name | Museum of Anthropology and Ethnology, São Paulo |
| Native name | Museu de Antropologia e Etnologia |
| Established | 1917 |
| Location | São Paulo, Brazil |
| Type | Anthropology museum |
Museum of Anthropology and Ethnology, São Paulo is a major Brazilian institution devoted to the study, preservation, and public presentation of material cultures from Brazil, Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. Founded in the early 20th century, the museum developed through interactions with universities, scientific expeditions, and international collectors, becoming a reference for scholars and the public interested in indigenous, Afro-Brazilian, and global ethnographic traditions. Its holdings, exhibitions, and research programs connect to broader networks of museums, universities, and cultural agencies.
The museum traces origins to initiatives linked to Museu Paulista, Museu Nacional (Brazil), University of São Paulo, Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo, Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo and early 20th-century collectors such as Pietro Maria Bardi, Barão do Rio Branco contemporaries and expeditions associated with Expedição Roncador-Xingu and the Rondon Commission. Through collaborations with institutions like British Museum, Musée de l'Homme, Smithsonian Institution, Museo del Prado, and National Museum of Anthropology (Mexico), the museum expanded during the administrations of municipal and state bodies including Prefeitura de São Paulo and Governo do Estado de São Paulo. Key moments involved acquisitions connected to Museu Paulista’s collection transfers, international repatriation debates exemplified by cases involving Benin Bronzes, and legal frameworks influenced by statutes such as Constituição da República Federativa do Brasil provisions on cultural heritage. Institutional ties to Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo and the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior supported curatorial and academic growth.
The collections encompass material from Tupi people, Guarani, Kayapó, Yanomami, Xingu peoples, Arawak peoples, and diverse Amazonian groups, alongside holdings from Yoruba people, Akan people, Maori people, Aboriginal Australians, Japanese diaspora in Brazil, and historical items from Portugal, Spain, Netherlands, France, United Kingdom, and United States contacts. Artefacts include ritual objects, textiles, ceramics, masks, weapons, musical instruments, and everyday objects with provenance linked to collectors such as Alcides d'Orbigny, Emílio Goeldi, Henrique de Beaurepaire-Rohan, and donors associated with Instituto de Estudos Brasileiros. The museum’s archives and photographic collections contain materials related to expeditions like Expedição Roncador-Xingu and figures such as Cândido Rondon, Paulo Duarte, Victor Meirelles and ethnographers tied to Claude Lévi-Strauss, Benedict Anderson, Darcy Ribeiro, and Gilberto Freyre dialogues. The anthropological library integrates titles from publishers linked to Editora UNESP, Editora USP, Bloomsbury, and collections bearing correspondence with Oswald de Andrade, Mário de Andrade, and Gilberto Freyre.
Permanent and temporary exhibitions have featured themes connecting to exhibitions hosted by Bienal de São Paulo, Festival de Inverno de Campos do Jordão, and collaborations with Museu de Arte de São Paulo and Instituto Tomie Ohtake. Programs include interdisciplinary shows referencing Semana de Arte Moderna de 1922, retrospectives on indigenous craft traditions with partners like Sociedade Brasileira de Etnologia, and touring loans to institutions such as Museu Nacional (Chile), Museo del Oro (Bogotá), and National Museum of Anthropology (Madrid). Public programs incorporate panels with scholars from University of São Paulo, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, EHESS, and visiting curators from Victoria and Albert Museum, Rijksmuseum, and Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Research units coordinate projects funded by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP), CNPq, and partnerships with CAPES. Staff work on provenance research tied to international discussions involving UNESCO conventions, repatriation dialogues with communities represented by Coordenação Nacional de Articulação das Comunidades Negras RIBEIRINHAS and indigenous organizations such as APIB. Conservation laboratories apply protocols from standards advocated by ICOM, ICOMOS, and collaborate with conservation workshops at Museu do Amanhã and university departments in Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas da USP. Scholarly output appears in journals associated with Revista de Antropologia, Anuário Antropológico and proceedings of conferences like Congresso Brasileiro de Antropologia.
The museum occupies purpose-adapted buildings in São Paulo with links to urban projects by architects influenced by Vilanova Artigas, Oscar Niemeyer, and planning debates connected to Plano Diretor de São Paulo. Facilities include climate-controlled storerooms, conservation laboratories, digitization suites, and a lecture auditorium used in collaborations with Teatro Municipal de São Paulo and academic symposia at Instituto de Estudos Brasileiros (IEB). Storage systems follow standards articulated by ICOM and reference collections are accessible to researchers under agreements modeled on practices at British Museum and Smithsonian Institution.
Educational initiatives engage school networks like Secretaria da Educação do Estado de São Paulo and cultural programs coordinated with SESC and Sesc Pinheiros, offering guided tours, workshops, and teacher-training in partnership with Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP and Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP. Outreach includes collaborative projects with indigenous organizations such as FUNAI, Afro-descendant associations linked to Quilombo communities, and community-curated exhibitions modeled on practices at Museu Afro Brasil.
Governance structures involve oversight by university bodies and municipal or state cultural secretariats, with funding from agencies including Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP), CNPq, CAPES, and philanthropic support comparable to foundations like Fundação Roberto Marinho and Itaú Cultural. Partnerships with international institutions such as European Union cultural programs, bilateral accords with France cultural services, and grant mechanisms tied to UNESCO heritage initiatives shape strategic planning and collection management.
Category:Museums in São Paulo