His Dark Materials Among the Displays, the Pitt Rivers Museum, December 12, 2022 to December 31, 2023.
- Resource Type
- Article
- Authors
- Walsh, Elizabeth
- Source
- Museum Anthropology. Mar2024, Vol. 47 Issue 1, p32-34. 3p.
- Subject
- *MUSEUMS
- Language
- ISSN
- 0892-8339
The article discusses an exhibition of props and costumes from the television adaptation of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series, which was displayed at the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford. The inclusion of these fantasy objects alongside ethnographic collections raises questions about the relationship between fantasy and ethnography. The article also examines the display of Arctic material culture in the museum and the potential implications of exhibiting fictional objects. It highlights the need to critically consider the colonial history and exoticization of ethnographic museums. The article concludes by discussing the strengths and pitfalls of engaging creatively with ethnographic materials. [Extracted from the article]