Unpacking Missionary Collections

Area of Science:

• Anthropology
• Museum Studies
• Religious Studies

Background:

• Christian missionary activities have historically contributed to museum collections, yet their role is less studied than imperial state acquisitions.
• Existing research often overlooks the complex material and social dimensions of missionary collecting and exhibiting.

Purpose of the Study:

• To advocate for a broader research approach to missionary collections, considering artifact materiality and social relations.
• To highlight the integral role of religion in the formation and function of museum collections.
• To analyze the multifaceted processes of artifact conversion within missionary contexts.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of missionary collecting and exhibiting practices.
• Examination of artifact biographies and their connections to missionaries and converts.
• Exploration of archives and collections as technologies of empire.

Main Results:

• Religion played a salient role in the processes of collecting and exhibiting artifacts.
• The conversion of people was intertwined with multitemporal and multidirectional conversions of goods.
• Missionary practices involved transforming artifacts into secular or commercial items, challenging notions of iconoclasm.

Conclusions:

• A comprehensive understanding of missionary collections requires acknowledging the complex interplay of religion, material culture, and imperial technologies.
• The multifold processes of artifact conversion, including their potential reversal, are crucial for considering the future of these collections.
• Future research should adopt a holistic approach to missionary collections, integrating religious studies, material culture studies, and postcolonial theory.