Museum Ethnography in search of materiality

Abstract

This article analyzes the specificity of knowledge, generated by ethnographic museums. It characterizes the museum’s notorious inertia and conservative nature, primarily due to the tasks of preserving and «conserving» the cultural heritage. The author examines possible ways for museum ethnography to move beyond its inherent empirical descriptions. He notes that the materiality of collections is a resource that has, until very recently, remained underappreciated by museum ethnographers. It determines not only the specifics of ethnographic studies of material culture but also the very nature of the ethnographic knowledge generated within the museum. The article concludes that the museum ethnographer’s engagement directly with material objects allows for the development of a unique analytical framework for museum research, while conceptualizing the sensory experience of interacting with collections offers the opportunity to significantly expand our understanding of the materiality of objects.