A top British museum has hidden a number of its sculptures out of respect for African cultural taboos.
Manchester Museum kept carved wooden figures of naked men concealed from visitors because they are designed for women’s eyes only.
Objects created by the Vai people of Liberia and Sierra Leone feature among those kept out of sight, as the community maintains various female-only rituals.
The museum said: “We honour the specific cultural restrictions in each circumstance, providing access according to agreed protocols.”
Sacred stone pipes made by the Sioux and an Australian stone phallus also remain locked up in storage.
Elsewhere, charms made by Nigeria’s Ogoni people are stored away from the public.
The Ogoni observe several male-only rites and rely on “juju” men to guide their spiritual practices.
The museum keeps these items hidden to respect these restrictions – as they would be back in Ngeria.
Manchester Museum kept carved wooden figures of naked men concealed from visitors because they are designed for women’s eyes only
|
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
As a result, certain artefacts never reach the museum floor and are accessible only through special arrangements.
But Manchester isn’t the only museum to have locked up its treasures.
National Museums Liverpool has taken similar steps, withdrawing a Native American rattle from its displays.
The rattle was likely used in sacred ceremonies.
BRITAIN’S WOKE MUSEUMS – READ MORE:
The museum group also keeps other items locked away, including another sacred rattle and two pouches of Aboriginal “ritual objects” reserved exclusively for men.
British museums have become increasingly sensitive about foreign cultrural rules.
Content warnings are now commonly put in place to alert visitors before they encounter certain artefacts.
Oxford University’s Pitt Rivers Museum even went as far as to not share an image of a Nigerian on its online database – before eventually giving in.
The Pitt Rivers Museum even went as far as to not share an image of a Nigerian on its online database
|
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
The mask had been labelled “must not be seen by women” by its original collectors.
A note explained: “This object has been digitised but we are unable to show the media publicly.”
The museum’s policy permits images to be withheld if they are “culturally sensitive: not to be seen by women”.
In 2020, the institution also removed its collection of South American shrunken heads from display.