Words Matter

28 June 2018

The Tropical Museum organized a meeting entitled “Words Matter” about the use of contested or sensitive words in museum texts, such as for example slave or Eskimo. For our museum it is especially important to use the correct indications in our online database. That is why Benedict Goes participated in this study day for professionals. Perhaps the sensitivity of our time goes a bit too far, so you hardly know what you can and cannot use. In any case, we will adjust some terms in our presentations in the coming weeks without affecting the search function of the website.

Nusantara meeting in Ethnographical Museum Leiden

7 June 2018

Museum Nusantara in Delft had to close and the collection was “de-accessioned”. For the Municipality of Delft this was a task much more difficult than foreseen. After completing this un-natural museum action the whole process was evaluated during a study day in the Museum of World Cultures in Leiden. Since the Amsterdam Pipe Museum also took over a few dozens of objects of the former Delft museum, we attended. Although there was some criticism, we can be satisfied with some rare pipes and fine betel sets, all with a good provenance. All these objects were collected on the spot before 1900!

Silver treasure in the Amsterdam newspaper

6 June 2018

Apparently the editors of the Amsterdam Parool newspaper are anti-tobacco. That is why our museum is often ignored by the Amsterdam press. However, our silver treasure or the Van Tienhoven-Van Ewijk bequest did make it to the Amsterdam press. This special acquisition was discussed in a question and answer section. We hope that it will encourage many Amsterdammers to visit the museum.

Acquisitions Van Tienhoven-Van Ewijk

4 June 2018

A selection of the pipes of the extraordinary legacy the Amsterdam Pipe Museum obtained from the late Felix van Tienhoven and his deceased wife is now presented as a small exhibition entitled “The Siver Treasure”. In his interest for metal pipes Felix acquired rare silver pipes, French ones for example, but even from Tibet and Georgia. The exhibition gives an impression of the diversity of the collection Van Tienhoven. On show till 26th August 2018.