Harvest of Closure - acquisitions during the period of relocation of the Museum of Ethnography

Despite the irregular working conditions during the move, the collection of the Museum of Ethnography has continued to grow. In addition to the acquisition of two major private collections, the institution has also collected gifts, fieldwork, African expedition collections and other archives and artefacts. The Harvest of closure exhibition opened on 14 April, presents a selection of the major acquisitions of the five years of closure, with nearly 300 objects on display.

The institution was closed to the public for four and a half years between 2018 and 2022, when it moved to its new premises. During this period, the museum did not intend to expand its holdings or its archives, as it planned to concentrate on the safe relocation of its collection of immense value. Despite the unconventional working conditions, the museum's collection continued to grow during this period - a selection of important acquisitions is on display in the Harvest of closure exhibition.

During the period of closure, there were unmissable opportunities to make new acquisitions - bargains, gifts and fieldwork collections. As a result, valuable and exciting objects and archives have been added to the museum as a result of a mission undertaken even in the circumstances of the move. With the contingency that is characteristic of any new acquisitions exhibition, here only a selection of the 'harvest' of the museum's closing is now on show.

The growth of the museum's collections over the past five years has resulted not only in an increase in numbers but also in a qualitative change: new acquisitions make the museum's collections more special and complete. In addition to the acquisition of two large private collections - the 1,361-item Román Collection and the 671-item János Knopp Collection - the museum has been enriched by gifts, fieldwork, field collections from an African expedition and other donated and purchased archives and artefacts.

From 17th century guild chests to 18th-19th century sacred objects, furniture and ceramics, the pieces represent different periods and techniques. Also on display there are textiles from Gombos, colar gipsy costumes and furniture from Bonyhád.

The objects on display also represent the specific condition of the objects that came to the museum from attics, cellars and various other places. Besides the exhibition presents the methodology of the acquisition practice at the Museum of Ethnography, giving visitors a behind-the-scenes look at the decision-making process that takes place in every museum acquisition, which revolves around the question: what makes something a museum object?

The new acquisitions are on display in the new building of the Museum of Etnography from 14 April.