Global Collection, Department of Anthropology

Collections | Updated 2 years ago

The Department of Anthropology Global collection (DAG for short) began as an assemblage of objects collected by West Australians that did not fit within traditional cultural boundaries, or within the framework of existing collection foci. A drone tube (didgeridoo) made in Bali or a rubber duck with an Egyptian sphinx headdress; these objects are products of globalisation that illustrate the connectedness and socially interwoven nature of our modern world. In addition they and other DAG collection objects reflect international and commercial appropriation of design and iconography from both ancient and modern worlds.  Sometimes it is forgotten that culture is a dynamic notion, constantly shifting and evolving with the current times. Items or symbols traditionally belonging to a specific culture are constantly being re-interpreted into new and exciting things. It is this essence that the DAG collection seeks to represent. The DAG collection continues to ‘morph’, much like culture itself, embodying a range of original and novel items produced by contemporary cultures.