Aboriginal Australian culture is represented in the Division of Anthropology by over 400 objects dating from the 19th and 20th centuries. Begun with 62 artifacts, predominantly from Queensland, the collection grew with a donation from the Australian government and was greatly enlarged by donation of the Flynn Collection of over 300 artifacts. Several smaller collections also enhance the Museum’s holdings.
The paintings displayed in the Museum’s exhibition Down Under Dreaming
represent a small portion of the Flynn Collection of Aboriginal Art, a
major collection assembled by Mrs. Kate Morey Flynn and her husband Dr.
Michael Flynn between 1982 and 1988. In 1995 and 1996 the Flynns
donated their collection to the Yale Peabody Museum. In addition to
paintings, the Flynn Collection contains carvings, didgeridoos (large
trumpets made from tree limbs naturally hollowed by termites),
boomerangs, shields, spears and baskets, and a wide assortment of 19th
and 20th century Australian Aboriginal artifacts from the Western
Deserts and Arnhem Land.
The Yale Peabody Museum’s
collections are available to legitimate researchers for scholarly use.
Loans are issued to responsible individuals at established
institutions. Loans and access to the collection can be arranged
through the Collections Manager.
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Study
of the collections is restricted to students and scholars working on
formal research projects who have obtained authorization from a
divisional curator. This is necessitated by the limited available study
space and the requirement that staff supervise visitors at all times.
Scholars are strongly encouraged to view the collections at the Museum.
Ongoing inventory of objects may restrict access to some collections.
