The holding in the Oceanic collections are the largest systematically acquired ethnographic collections in the Division of Anthropology. Most of this material was collected by Yale faculty and graduate students conducting research in New Guinea, the Phillippines, Malaysia and the Solomon Islands. Other donations of materials from Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia include over 100 tapa cloth objects, as well as a wide array of decorative and utilitarian artifacts.
The Asian anthropological collections of the Yale Peabody Museum include artifacts systematically acquired by Yale faculty and students, such as Cornelius Osgood’s Korean and Chinese material, and several important private donations. Some of the most interesting Asian objects are lacquer containers, ceramics, and Samurai armor and swords from Japan donated by 4 individuals.
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.