If you look back through past DULib blog posts, you will realise that I, (Kelly Hetherington, Repository Officer), am no stranger to attending events and then singing the praises of my Museum colleagues - whether that's attending Holi Festival or Diwali with my young family or attending teaching demonstrations held for University Library and Collections (ULC) staff. So when ULC's Staff Development Group (SDG) announced a visit to the Oriental Museum, organised by Ross Wilkinson (Learning and Engagement Manager), I thought it wouldn't apply to me as a seasoned visitor. Luckily, my manager encouraged me to visit and so a new blog post is born.
Picture of Chinese bed in the Oriental Museum.
What I did not appreciate was that visiting the Oriental Museum and having a guided tour from the Assistant Curator, Gillian Ramsay, would provide a completely different experience to simply browsing the museum - with her rich knowledge and experience providing a unique and enhanced view of the collections.
To provide context to the visit, Gill, told us about the interesting history of how the Oriental Museum was originally established due to the belief and vision of Durham University's first director of Oriental Studies, Professor William Thacker: "that students needed to understand not just the language and literature but also the material culture of the countries they were studying." (https://www.durham.ac.uk/things-to-do/venues/oriental-museum/about-our-collections/history-of-the-museum/)
This philosophy of the importance of understanding the material culture underpins the modern work of the Oriental Museum and it is obvious that the staff are passionate about encouraging, wherever possible, students and members of the community to be 'hands on' with museum artefacts - and the joy and enhanced experience that comes with that.
Gill guided us around the museum and we stopped in each section and she gave us interesting context to many of the items. For example, as a regular visitor, I've seen the Chinese bed, which dates from 1830-1839 CE, pictured above on numerous occasions. I did not know that it is slotted together with no nails or glue in a similar way to modern flat pack furniture and it spent time in a family home in Cumbria with a former opium dealer! You can view extensive information about the bed in our catalogue.
The William Thacker Gallery holds precious Egyptian artefacts. I'm always drawn in by the mummies in the centre of the room but Gill drew our attention to a small but beautiful carved statue, 'Servant girl carrying a jar', from 1360 BCE. She explained the significance of this staggeringly old statue and the fact that she is in a natural pose - very rare for art during this time period. This is a very special piece and is studied by scholars from all over the world.
Picture of 'Servant girl carrying a jar' - the jar would have held kohl eyeliner!
As well as permanent displays, the Oriental Museum hosts temporary exhibitions, including exhibitions curated by students on the Museums and Artefacts MA and there is currently a temporary photography exhibition, Eternal Ascent, documenting the 1924 Everest Exhibition. The tour helped me to appreciated the thought, planning and creativity that must go into each of these exhibitions.
I enjoyed learning about Malcolm MacDonald, who originally owned many of the Chinese ceramics, now displayed in a gallery that is named after him, and how he encouraged countries under colonial rule to seek independence as part of the Commonwealth. Often, I've visited the museum and not paid much attention to the people who the galleries are named after - but I will now! Below is a photograph of MacDonald's favourite item in his collection - a porcelain bowl, which Gill described as being so delicate it felt almost weightless.
Picture of Ding ware bowl - Malcolm MacDonald's favourite piece in the Chinese ceramic collection
Finally, before the tour ended we got a sneak peek into the store, where artefacts not currently on display are held, and we learned about the large project that was meticulously undertaken by a small 'bubble' of museum staff during Covid to refurbish the space.
It was interesting to hear about some of the topical challenges that the curators must consider - for example, recognising that some artefacts in the museum have been acquired through colonialism. Gill explained that the museum does repatriate artefacts, but also the considerations that must be made - for example, if the country of origin is a war zone, is there a risk of it being destroyed.
It is impossible for me to re-tell the entire tour and the passion of Gill and her colleagues about the value of museums, teaching and cultural links to the community - so what I would encourage you to do is visit the Oriental Museum - and if you are a member of staff, make the most of the opportunity to visit when it is next offered! Thank you Ross and Gill for an excellent tour!
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