HERITAGE MUZIUM MAGAZINE

JANUARY 2022 MAGAZINE

JOURNEY TO

DISCOVER

WHAT IS TOP 5 “It’s not a museum. It’s not
a place of artifacts; it’s a
MUSEUM ? MUSEUM AROUND
THE WORLD place of ideas.”

Jeanie Kahnke



WHAT IS MUSEUM

CONTENTS

1 What Is Museum?
The Article

2 Uffizi Gallery, Florence
3 The British Museum, London
4 National Museum Of India,

New Delhi

5 The Natural History Museum,
London

6 Muzium Islam Melaka, Malaysia
7 The Palace Museum, Beijing
8 Egyptian Museum, Cairo
9 Museum Of Black Civilizations,

Senegal

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WHAT IS MUSEUM

MWhuastuIsem?

“A museum is a non-profit, permanent In many cases, they are removed from their original
institution in the service of society and its context in time, place, and circumstance. Museums
development, open to the public, which acquires, have been founded for a variety of purposes: to
conserves, researches, communicates and serve as recreational facilities, scholarly venues, or
exhibits the tangible and intangible heritage of educational resources; to contribute to the quality
humanity and its environment for the purposes of life of the areas where they are situated; to
of education, study and enjoyment.” A museum attract tourism to a region; to promote civic pride
is an institution that preserves and interprets world or nationalistic endeavour; or even to transmit
cultures and their environment. When it comes to overtly ideological concepts. Given such a variety
preserving this evidence, museums differ markedly of purposes, museums reveal remarkable diversity
from libraries, with which they have often been in form, content, and even function. Yet, despite
compared, since the objects held in museums are such diversity, they are bound by a common
usually unique and are the subject of study and goal: the preservation and interpretation of some
research. They often communicate directly with the material aspect of society’s cultural consciousness.
viewer in a way that other forms of media cannot.

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WHAT IS MUSEUM

Uffizi Gallery, Florence

The Uffizi Gallery was designed by Giorgio
Vasari in 1560 for Cosimo I de’Medici to house
the Granducal Magistratures of Tuscany.
Over time, the top floor loggia became
an exhibition of the dynastic collection of
ancient sculpture, artwork and artifacts.

The eastern wing of the building incorporated
the ancient Florentine church of San Pier
Scheraggio and the wing to the west
connected with two existing buildings, the
Mint and the Loggia dei Lanzi. Vasari conceived
an architectural module to be repeated
all along the building: a portico flanked by
two pillars, with niches on the ground floor
and three windows on the upper story.

In 1565, on the occasion of the marriage of
his son Francesco to Giovanna d’Austria,
Cosimo I asked Vasari to design a raised
passage way connecting
Palazzo Vecchio with
Palazzo Pitti, the new
residence of the family.
The passage starts from
the government palace,
Palazzo Vecchio, goes
through the Uffizi, then runs
parallel to the river above
a portico and crosses
over the Ponte Vecchio.
The Corridor continues
through the facade of the
church of Santa Felicita to
reach the Boboli Gardens.

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MUSEUM

The British

Museum, London

In 1753, an Act of Parliament created the world’s first Sir Hans Sloane (1660–1753), physician and
free, national, public museum that opened its doors President of the Royal Society, amassed a huge
to ‘all studious and curious persons’ in 1759. Initially, collection of more than 80,000 ‘natural and artificial
visitors had to apply for tickets to see the museum’s rarities’ with a vast library of over 40,000 books and
collections during limited visiting hours. In effect, manuscripts, and 32,000 coins and medals.The 1753
this meant entry was restricted to well-connected Act purchased this for the public which, along with
visitors who were given personal tours of the the Cotton, Harley and Royal Libraries, became a new
collections by the museum’s Trustees and curators. kind of public institution, called the British Museum.

From the 1830s onwards, regulations were changed Sloane had used developing global networks
and opening hours were extended. Gradually, the created by European imperial expansion to collect
museum became truly open and freely accessible to these materials and financed the purchases
all and we now welcome more than 6 million local and with income partly derived from enslaved labour
international visitors to the museum every year. Our on Jamaican sugar plantations. The museum’s
extensive touring exhibition and loans programme collections were first housed in a 17th-century
means that millions of people also see the museum’s mansion, Montagu House, which was extensively
collections at venues across the UK and worldwide. refurbished before it opened to the public in 1759.

As the collections grew, new galleries were added to
the original building.Soon, the need for space was so
great that Montagu House began to be demolished
in 1823 to make way for Sir Robert Smirke’s much
bigger Greek Revival style building that we know
today. The Enlightenment Gallery was the first wing
to be built, to house King George III’s library and
the colonnaded portico through which visitors still
enter the museum completed the building in 1852.

Sir Richard Westmacott designed the sculptures in the
pediment above the entrance to reflect the ‘progress
of civilisation’ as conceived by Victorians at a time
when British global power through imperial expansion
was growing. The latest technology has always been
integrated into the construction of the building,
including the soaring dome of the Round Reading
Room (opened in 1857). The Queen Elizabeth II Great
Court which encloses it that was designed by Foster
and Partners. We continue to develop the museum
site in response to current needs and opened the
World Conservation and Exhibition Centre in 2013.

Sir Hans Sloane (1660–1753)

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MUSEUM

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MUSEUM

National

Museum The National Museum, New Delhi, as we see it
Of India, today, has an interesting beginning. The blueprint
for establishing the National Museum in Delhi was
New Dehli prepared by the Maurice Gwyer Committee in
May 1946. An Exhibition of Indian Art, consisting
of selected artefacts from various museums
of India was organized by the Royal Academy,
London with the cooperation of Government of
India and Britain. The Exhibition went on display in
the galleries of Burlington House, London during
the winter months of 1947-48. It was decided to
display the same collection in Delhi, before the
return of exhibits to their respective museums.

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MUSEUM

The success of this Exhibition led to the idea that
advantage should be taken of this magnificent
collection to build up the nucleus collection of the
National Museum. State Governments, Museum
authorities and private donors, who had participated
in the exhibition, were approached for the gift or loan
of artefacts, and most of them responded generously.
On August 15, 1949, the National Museum, New Delhi,
was inaugurated in the Rashtrapati Bhawan by Shri
R.C. Rajagopalachari, the Governor-General of India.
The foundation of the present building was laid by
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the Prime Minister of India,
on May 12, 1955.

The first phase of the National Museum building was
formally inaugurated by Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan,
the Vice President of India, on December 18, 1960.
The second phase of the building was completed
in 1989.While the Museum continued to grow
its collection through gifts that were sought
painstakingly, artefacts were collected through its
Arts Purchase Committee. The Museum presently
holds approximately 2,00,000 objects of diverse
nature, both Indian as well as foreign, and its holdings
cover a time span of more than five thousand years
of Indian cultural heritage.

The National Museum was initially looked after by the
Director General of Archaeology until 1957, when the
Ministry of Education, Government of India, declared
it a separate institution and placed it under its own
direct control. At present, the National Museum is
under the administrative control of the Ministry of
Culture, Government of India. The Museum also has
a collection of 450 old and rare instruments from
various regions of India, depicting different musical
traditions. Of these, 207 objects are currently on
display. Most instruments belong to the 17th-19th
century period; but there are some that date as far
back as the 15th century.

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WMUHSAETUISMMUSEUM

THE NATURAL HISTORY
MUSEUM, LONDON

A beloved landmark, the Natural History Museum The structure has examples of Romanesque
dates all the way back to 1753. The renowned architecture and has been considered a work of art in
doctor Sir Hans Sloane collected natural history its own right. The gallery ceilings were adorned with
specimens and cultural artefacts throughout his elaborate tiles that display a wide variety of plants, and
life. Upon his death, it was found in his will that he the Hintze Hall ceiling boasts a vast 162 individually
had requested for Parliament to buy his collections decorated panels; reflecting the era when exotic
and display them. Sloane had collected over 71,000 plant specimens were being introduced into Britain.
objects and the findings were bought for a gigantic
£20,000; this was the beginning of the museum. The immense size of the museum comes down to
Sir Richard Owen. Owen insisted that the building
The Natural History Museum was originally part of be big enough to house the entirety of their
the British Museum but in 1963 a separate board of collections and have room for their ever expanding
trustees were appointed to take over the running of specimens. The controversial man, known for his
the institution. Despite separating from the British quick temper, made sure there was a large amount
Museum in the 1960s, it wasn’t until 1992 that of space for the creatures and fossils to come in.
the museum was officially named Natural History.
Owen famously claimed the museum as ‘a
Courtesy of the Trustees of the National History cathedral to nature’, insisting that it be completely
MuseumThe terracotta constructed building free and accessible to anyone of any background.
was officially opened on 18 April 1881; it was
built with this material as terracotta was more
resistant to Victorian London’s harsh climate.

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WHAT IS MUSEUM

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MUSEUM

ISLAMIC MUSEUM
MELAKA, MALAYSIA

The Islamic Museum of Malacca Getting to the church will require
is located at a building along Jalan some walking as the church is on
Kota. The building which houses top of the hill. Along the walk up, you
the museum now used to be will come across two museums.
the office of the Islamic Council They are the Architecture
of Malacca (Majlis Agama Islam Museum and the Stamp Museum.
Melaka-MAIM). The Islamic After coming down from the
Museum of Malacca is not hill, you can make your to the
difficult to find as it just a stone Maritime Museum Of Malacca or
throw’s away from the famous also known as the Flor De Lamar.
Porta de Santiago or A Famosa.

The Islamic Museum of Malacca The renovation efforts were a The Maritime Museum is actually
was set up not solely for the mixture of the finest traditional also a replica of the Portuguese
purpose of exhibiting documents Islamic arts and also local and ship that sank off the coast of
and artefacts pertaining to the international craftsmanship. Malacca while it was on its way
Islam religion but also to serve There are eight main to Portugal. Works on the replica
as a center to research on how exhibition areas with is in started in 1990 and was finally
Islam came to Malacca and how accordance with its theme. opened to the public in 1994.
the religion spread to the entire The overall exhibitions are Since there are just so many
country. When it was decided executed in a chronological places to visit in Malacca, why
that the museum is to be placed manner to incite visitors with not stay another night or two
in this building along Jalan Kota, the sense of time and the at hotels in Malacca. There are
extensive renovations was done to arrival of Islam in Malacca many budget hotels around
prepare the space for the museum. and how the religion spread is you are on a high budget.
all across Malaysia. The fee to There are also five-star hotels
enter the museum is RM1 per which you may consider as well.
adult and RM0.50 per child. It
opens daily from 9am to 5.30pm.

The Islamic Museum of Malacca
is strategically located at the most
visited areas in Malacca. It is very
near to the Malacca Sultanate
Palace which is a replica of palace
during the Malay Sultanate. The
palace is located at the foot of the
St Paul’s hill. Also close by is the
St Paul’s Church, which is located
on the hill of the same name.

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MUSEUM

Islamic Museum

Location:
Malacca
Address:
Jalan Kota, 75000 Malacca, Malaysia.
Opening Hours:
09:00 hrs - 17:30 hrs (Daily, Closed on Monday)

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MUSEUM

Location And Layout the throne, determined to move his capital northward
from Nanjing to Beijing. Over 200 years later, the
Situated in the heart of Beijing, the Palace Museum Ming dynasty fell to the Manchu Qing dynasty in
is approached through the Gate of Heavenly Peace 1644. Then, in 1911, the Qing were subsequently
(Tian’an men). Immediately to the north of the overthrown by republican revolutionaries. The
Palace Museum is Prospect Hill (also called Coal last emperor, Puyi (who ruled from 1909 to 1911
Hill), while on the east and west are the Wangfujing under the reign name Xuantong), continued to
and Zhongnanhai neighborhoods. Ancient China’s live in the palace after his abdication until he was
astronomers endowed the location with cosmic expelled in 1924. During nearly five hundred years
significance. They correlated the emperor’s abode, of imperial operation, the palace served as the
which they considered the pivot of the terrestrial residence and court of twenty-four emperors.
world, with the Pole Star (Ziwei yuan)—believed
to be the center of the heavens. Because of its
centrality and restricted access, the palace was
called the Forbidden City. It was built from 1406 to
1420 by the third emperor of the Ming dynasty, the
Yongle Emperor (r. 1403-1420) who, upon usurping

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MUSEUM

THE PALACE MUSEUM,
BEIJING

About The Palace Museum

Established in 1925, the Palace Museum is located in the imperial
palace of the consecutive Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-
1911) dynasties. The magnificent architectural complex, also
known as the Forbidden City, and the vast holdings of paintings,
calligraphy, ceramics, and antiquities of the imperial collections
make it one of the most prestigious museums in China and the
world. In 1961, the State Council designated the former imperial
residence as one of China’s foremost-protected cultural heritage
sites, and in 1987 it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

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MUSEUM

EGYPTIAN MUSEUM

About Egyptian
Museum

The Egyptian Museum is the
oldest archaeological museum in
the Middle East, and houses the
largest collection of Pharaonic
antiquities in the world. The
museum displays an extensive
collection spanning from the
Predynastic Period to the Greco-
Roman Era. The architect of the
building was selected through
an international competition in
1895, which was the first of its
kind, and was won by the French
architect, Marcel Dourgnon.

About The Burial Of Yuya And Thuya

Among the museum’s unrivaled
collection are the complete burials
of Yuya and Thuya, Psusennes I
and the treasures of Tanis, and the
Narmer Palette commemorating
the unification of Upper and Lower
Egypt under one king, which
is also among the museum’s
invaluable artifacts. The museum
also houses the splendid statues
of the great kings Khufu, Khafre,
and Menkaure, the builders of
the pyramids at the Giza plateau.
An extensive collection of papyri,
sarcophagi and jewelry, among
other objects, completes this
uniquely expansive museum.

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MUSEUM

Collection Of Artifacts The Displays of the Old Kingdom:

The Egyptian museum in Cairo discoveries over time. For instance, The Old Kingdom in ancient Egyptian
houses a great and enormous Tutankhamun’s enormous tomb history, also known as the “Pyramids
collection of artifacts, mummies, and the impressive discoveries Builders Period”, was a very vital period
coffins, stones, ancient belongings, that were made inside it, and that left us so many remarkable artifacts
and even food types that used to the tomb belongings of Tanis and objects, and that’s why it has a huge
be buried with the kings before which were both discovered after section in the museum. Some of the most
death to use in the afterlife. As part the museum opened. Now the important achievements of that period are
of the ancient Egyptian beliefs museum has more than 100,000 the Pyramids of Giza, the Step Pyramid of
and religion, ancient Egyptians ancient objects inside its walls. Saqqara, the Pyramids of Dahshur, and
used to bury the dead with all their the Pyramids of Abu Sir.
belongings as they believed that Some objects were moved to the
they will use their clothes and food new Grand Egyptian Museum, The Displays of the Middle Kingdom:
when they pass to the After Life. while most of them are still in
the main museum in Tahrir. The The Museum houses ten of the most
As an interesting fact, Kings museum in Tahrir will remain remarkable statues that date back to the
were buried with not only their the major spot for the ancient Middle Kingdom. The ten statues portray
material belongings, but also with Egyptian heritage, even after the King Senosert I, who belongs to the 12th
their “servants”. The Museum’s opening of the Grand Museum. dynasty and all of them are made out of
collection is growing rapidly limestone. The Middle Kingdom period
as archaeologists make new started in Egypt after the fall of the Old
Kingdom and it wasn’t really a great
period of the ancient Egyptian history
in every aspect. At the beginning of
the 12th dynasty, the living conditions of
the ancient Egyptians were significantly
improved and even arts, industries, and
artifacts witnessed a great improvement.

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MUSEUM

Museum of Black
Civilizations,
Senegal

The Museum of Black Civilizations, Inside the Museum of Black The museum hopes to represent
known in French as the Musée Civilizations, visitors will find all black civilizations, but the
des Civilisations noires (MCN), is ambitious displays spanning both fact that it is based in Dakar is
a 150,000-square-foot, circular centuries and continents. The not mere coincidence. Art lives
structure, modelled after the exhibition “Cradle of Humankind,” and breathes in Dakar. With its
traditional houses of Senegal’s for instance, looks back to human founding father and the brain-
Casamance region, according to origins in Africa and features early child behind this grand museum –
Al Jazeera’s Amandla Thomas- stone tools. “African Civilizations: Léopold Sédar Senghor – having
Johnson. China was the main Continuous Creation of Humanity” been a poet, cultural theorist and
backer of the project, providing delves into the history of masks leading pan-Africanist thinker, it
a $34 million funding boost, and “the traditions of Sufism and makes sense that Dakar would
according to BBC. The country Christianity in Africa,” according to be the home of this museum.
has invested billions of dollars Brown. Among the contemporary
into the continent—“China has artworks to appear in the new
long had an appetite for Africa’s museum are pieces by the
abundant natural resources,” Cuban artist Elio Rodriguez, South
notes Yolaan Begbie of Africa. Africa’s Andries Botha, and the
Haitian artist Philippe Dodard.

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MUSEUM

Event Type:
Special Exhibition
Event Date:
Monday, 18 October, 2021 - 09:00 to
Friday, 18 March, 2022 - 17:00
Location:
Gallery 2, Department of Museums Malaysia

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RM 20.00