INTRODUCTION
The time period museum is from Historical Greek, Mouseoin, which suggests “the place sacred to the muses.” In response to Greek Mythology Mouseoin was the temple of muses, the 9 goddesses that presided over poetry, songs, the humanities, sciences and studying. In Greek Mythology the 9 goddesses have been the daughters of Zeus, the King of the gods and Mnemosyne, the goddess of reminiscence. The Greeks believed that the muses lived on Mount Olympus with their chief, the god Apollo (American Affiliation of Museums, 2000). Within the third century B.C. through the rule of the Ptolemy Dynasty, when the Greeks dominated over Historical Egypt, Ptolemy 1 Soter based an establishment for literary and scientific examine in Alexandria and referred to as it a museum. With the revival of studying through the Renaissance within the fifteenth century A.D. Italian students stored their collections of historic supplies in rooms referred to as museums. The Renaissance nobles additionally had adorned their palaces with artwork, sculpture and collections of curiosities. It was a lot later that non-public collections handed to public possession and have been placed on show. For instance Pope Sixtus IV opened the Capitoline Museum to the general public in 1447 and this was adopted by Cesarini additionally in Rome. The primary museum to be operated as a nationwide establishment was the British Museum in 1753 adopted by the Palace of Louvre in Paris in 1793.Different well-known museums are the Artwork Gallery by which the Mona Lisa is portrayed, the Metropolitan in New York, the Prado in Madrid, the Hermitage in Petersburg (Leningrad), and the Smithsonian in Washington (Sears, 2006).
ORIGINS AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE SIERRA LEONE NATIONAL MUSEUM
‘There may be at all times one thing new from Africa’ said Pliny who lived from 23-79 A.D. This huge continent of Africa has some many firsts. The north of Africa is believed to be the cradle of civilization that’s Historical Egypt. It was in Historical Egypt that the primary museum got here into existence. Additional south are virtually impassible obstacles of desert and tropical forests, and past these, lies the higher a part of Africa identified to the Arabs as Bilad-as-Sudan, the land of the Black individuals. It was on this a part of Africa within the Rift Valley in East Africa often known as Japanese Sudan that the oldest type of human life was found. The Western Sudan (West Africa) can boast of highly effective historic empires like Ghana, Songhai, Mali and Kanem Bornu.
Sierra Leone too has a really wealthy and numerous heritage. She has an ample pure life; her archaeological websites date again to the Previous Stone Age in Africa. Oral traditions date again to the time when the ancestors of present inhabitants settled of their respective areas. There’s a nice variety of quite a few secret societies with their related cultural supplies such because the Poro, Bondo, Gbagbani, Kofo, Regbainlay and Mathoma Secret Societies. There are additionally the outdated conventional arts and crafts monuments and relics which commemorate individuals and occasions way back. This heritage has been constructed upon over time by the works of sculptors, architects, painters, musicians, blacksmiths, goldsmiths and different creators of kind and sweetness. As much as 1957 Sierra Leone had no museum. The Monument and Relics Fee of 1st June 1947 supplied the premise for the safety and preservation of historic, historic and pure monuments, relics and different objects of archaeological, ethnographical (conventional Artwork ) and historic or different scientific curiosity as laid down by the Act. These historic relics have been scattered everywhere in the nation gathering mud and mold in authorities ware homes, whereas her ethnographical treasures have been being destroyed by climate wood-boring bugs. In 1954, Sir Robert de Zouche Corridor, a former Governor Basic challenged the Sierra Leone Society to create a Nationwide Museum for the nation. This museum, in line with the Governor, can contribute to the expansion of nationwide satisfaction by gathering and preserving objects and making them accessible for contemplation and examine. This problem was taken up by M.C.F. Easmon and others with the formation of a Museum Sub-Committee (Cummings, 1996). The Previous Cotton Tree Railway Station was acquired and rehabilitated, with the assistance of presidency, and was opened on the tenth December, 1957. The Nationwide Museum, in line with Sir Maurice Dorman, was meant to gather, put so as and protect the work of man’s fingers that was quick disappearing from the lives of Sierra Leoneans. The Nationwide Museum, he added, ‘ought to be a spot the place the illiterate man will be impressed by the show of what’s finest in his tradition, each up to now and current, there-by maintaining a file of Sierra Leone for posterity.’
MUSEUM COVERAGE
The Sierra Leone Nationwide Museum covers three areas: Archaeology, Historical past and Ethnography. Within the space of Archaeology there are giant steatite (soapstone) heads, the Maye Yafe or Chiefs’ devils. These are believed to deliver good luck to Chiefs and unhealthy luck to the frequent man. There are figures referred to as Nomoli, that are an enigma and are of unknown antiquity. The curator believes that these figures date again to the Center Stone Age. There’s a giant assortment of poetry and potsherds and it’s believed that a number of the pots on show within the museum date again to B.C. days. There may be additionally an abundance of Previous Stone Age instruments equivalent to choppers, hand axes, and polished New Stone Age instruments along with many steatite bored stones which have been as soon as used as forex and as digging stick weights. Within the Historical past space essentially the most distinguished merchandise is the unique Constitution of Sierra Leone signed in 1799 by King George III by which the settlement turned a British Colony. There are additionally fashions of the de Reuter Stone on which the Admiral engraved his title after sacking Bunce and Tasso Islands in 1664. Bunce Island was a depot from the place slaves have been transported throughout the Atlantic Ocean. There are effigies of the late Sir Milton Margai, the primary Prime Minister of Sierra Leone and Bai Bureh, the final warrior chief who fought the British from 1898-1902. There may be additionally a bunch of supplies drawn from the colonial interval equivalent to canon, staffs of chiefs, swords, medals, cash, images, work and paperwork. Within the space of Ethnography (Conventional Artwork) there are totally dressed masquerading dancers e.g. Sowei of the Bondo Society, Goboi, the regalia of Chiefs, Secret Society paraphernalia, beautiful carved masks, carvings in human and animal kind, indigenous musical devices just like the drums that are integral in African rituals in beginning, initiation and dying, textile, basketry and different crafts. The Sierra Leone Nationwide Museum has a powerful assortment of artifacts and is really a retailer home of the nation’s cultural treasures (Sierra Leone Nationwide Museum Prospectus, 2013).
ROLE OF THE MUSEUM
The Sierra Leone Nationwide Museum preserves the nationwide heritage; it’s a advanced establishment for analysis, schooling and tradition. It’s an instrument of mass schooling, which caters for the wants of literates and illiterates, each younger and outdated. Youngsters of college going age make up the biggest public served by the Nationwide Museum by guided excursions. Other than college teams particular person youngsters go to the museum every single day. The museum displays are related to the varsity syllabi extra so in disciplines like Historical past, Social Research, Agricultural Science and Civics. Thus essay and poster competitions are run by the museum for kids. Since Artwork is essentially the most pure technique of expression of people that cannot learn and write the displays within the Nationwide Museum are so organized that they’ll communicate for themselves. The museum is a vital analysis middle. It’s analysis that brings the museum to life and makes it rather more than a repository of lifeless objects. As analysis middle the Nationwide Museum is the one place within the nation the place somebody can discover such historic paperwork just like the Sierra Leone Constitution. Thus college students from each increased and tertiary establishments in addition to researchers (domestically and internationally) make intensive use of museum materials in writing their tasks. A few of the matters extensively researched on within the museum are the origins of St John’s Maroon Church, tourism as instrument of socioeconomic improvement, conventional colleges in Sierra Leone throughout pre-colonial, colonial and up to date occasions, interment rites of paramount chiefs amongst totally different ethnic teams within the nation, and mining in pre-colonial Sierra Leone.
The Sierra Leone Nationwide Museum is just not solely established for elites and the scholarly neighborhood but additionally to offer a service for most of the people. The essential function of the museum is to allow the general public to know and respect underneath circumstances of show the artifacts which the establishment collects, preserves and protects. Entrance to the museum is free as a result of it isn’t solely a nationwide museum but additionally a part of a global settlement (Worldwide Council of Museum) to which the Sierra Leone Nationwide Museum is a signatory ought to. Sierra Leoneans are conscious of the truth that the Nationwide Museum types an integral a part of the native tradition. The specimens of the cultures represented within the museum are at present in use and individuals are aware of their existence and capabilities. The museum although nationwide additionally pursuits non-national public composed principally of European, American and Asian nationals, most of those are unaware of African tradition usually and Sierra Leonean tradition particularly. Paradoxically the museum has touched each an knowledgeable and fairly largely illiterate in addition to educated and completely uninitiated publics. The next are a number of remarks from the Museum’s Guests E book:
• It’s spectacular, stick with it! (A Nigerian).
• We entered into African mysteries (An Italian).
• Very attention-grabbing! Very painful particularly the slaves (An American).
• Most and the very best expertise in Native Historical past).
• It goes a good distance in preserving our cultural heritage (A Sierra Leonean).
The Sierra Leone Nationwide Museum is an exhibition and communication middle. It supplies contact with actual objects. It disseminates details about Sierra Leonean Artwork. Artwork items are themselves paperwork that are eloquent. From naturalistic figures held within the museum individuals can study in regards to the costume of the time. A sculptured piece reveals a bit of greater than the individual portrayed. As an illustration a carved warrior or hunter within the museum reveals the kind of weapon used on the time. The museum steers away from ethnic distribution within the nation of its objects. It goals at representing fairly than stating native peculiarities. For instance Rhythmic Arts (musical devices), Occupations (fishing gear, basketry and pottery), cultural objects (insignia of Chiefs and bride cash), and Girls’s Actions (ornaments, combs and cooking utensils)) are portrayed within the museum. The reason is that each city and rural guests are anxious to see their methods of life mirrored within the “Ancestral Dwelling,” which is the museum. As native guests go around the museum they search attentively for utensils, instruments, weapons or acquainted faces and are normally delighted or typically grievance to employees when these are absent. In short the Museum performs an important half at nationwide and worldwide ranges. It helps the general public to understand articles illustrating historical past. As repository of the nationwide heritage it helps individuals to seek out the weather of their previous and to amass new non secular wealth. The Museum renews in Sierra Leoneans a way of belonging to a very civilization and stimulates in them the spirit of nationwide satisfaction and cohesion that are important substances in nation constructing.
MEMBERSHIP OF PROFESSIONAL ORGANISATIONS
The Sierra Leone Nationwide Museum is a member of a number of skilled our bodies each at residence and abroad. It has been a member of the Worldwide Council of Museums (ICOM) since 1964. The Museum can also be a member of the Group for Museums, Monuments and Websites in Africa (OMMSA), the cultural arm of the then Group of African Unity (OAU), at present African Union(AU ). The Museum is represented within the Arts Training Affiliation of Sierra Leone, which up to now organized Artwork Festivals in colleges and faculties; it is usually represented within the Public Archives Fee and the Sierra Leone Affiliation of Librarians, Archivists and Info Professionals(SLAALIP).
The Sierra Leone Nationwide Museum continues to get pleasure from cordial relationship with UNESCO which has assisted in employees coaching and provide of apparatus; the West African Museums Program in Dakar(WAMP),which has performed a number of workshops on conservation and preservation of artifacts. Overseas Missions too have contributed immensely to the event of the museum. For instance the Federal Republic of Germany in Sierra Leone erected an extension of the museum as a bicentenary present. The French Embassy in Sierra Leone by the French Cooperation Technical Division rehabilitated the Previous Cotton Tree Museum Constructing. America of America, by the Division of the US Info Companies has on a number of events invited the curator to go to the USA which has resulted to shut hyperlinks with the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, the Museum of African Artwork in Washington, Metropolitan Museum in New York and the Museum of Modern Artwork in Chicago. The U S Embassy was additionally instrumental within the twinning relationship with the Museum of Coastal Historical past, St. Simons Island, Georgia. By these hyperlinks the Museum was provided with the outcomes of Indiana-American analysis tasks, pamphlets, calendars of coming occasions, posters and future exhibitions. The twinning with the Museum of Coastal Historical past, St Simons Island, Georgia, USA has led to the investigation of the “Trans-Atlantic Linkage-the Sierra Leone and the Gullah/Geechee Connection.” There was a sequence of alternate visits between curators and the Nice Spring Lecture was delivered at Fort Frederica, St Simon Island in 1995. In the identical yr a joint exhibition and a symposium was held on the “Trans-Atlantic Linkage” in Georgia.
CHALLENGES
One of many main considerations of the Sierra Leone Nationwide Museum is how one can fight the theft and illicit exportation of cultural artifacts. The Authorities of Sierra Leone has formulated a complete nationwide coverage with statutes as contained within the Monuments and Relics Ordinance of 1947. The Ordinance supplies for the preservation of historic, historic and pure monuments, relics and different objects of historic, ethnographical and scientific curiosity. Any one who needs to export from the nation any ethnographical merchandise should submit it to the Nationwide Museum; a license might be issued which ought to be proven to customs officers on the level of departure. If an meant merchandise for exportation has cultural, historic or archaeological worth it will likely be retained within the nation as a part of the nationwide heritage. Anybody discovered violating any of the rules is liable to felony prosecution underneath the availability of the Ordinance. If discovered responsible the individual involved must pay a fantastic of 200 kilos sterling. In default of cost, the individual will serve a jail sentence not exceeding six months. Nonetheless, despite the efforts made by the Museum to guard cultural property smuggling of artifacts continues. It’s disturbing to notice that in Sierra Leone educated and clever individuals buy, promote and export protected cultural supplies only for the sake of enterprise promotion. What’s extra Sierra Leone has porous borders which individuals use to benefit in smuggling cultural supplies overseas with impunity.
Additional the general public service that the Nationwide Museum performs warrants public expenditure, particularly if requirements are to be maintained. Sadly authorities grants to the museum are meagre and this poses one other problem for the operating of the museum. Typically salaries paid to employees aren’t solely discouraging typically however delayed in cost. In 2014 for example a lot wage backlog was owed employees that employees struck and the museum ceased to function for some time. In addition to the Nationwide Museum doesn’t have branches within the provinces however solely centered within the capital metropolis, Freetown. Workers are restricted in quantity and ill-motivated. Hardly are they engaged in capability constructing resulting from lack of funds. This has led to large employees turn-over. Extra over working within the museum is just not nicely regarded nation-wide. Most individuals view it as a job for college drop outs. Thus younger individuals don’t like pursuing museology as a profession. Additionally employees don’t embark on large public schooling on the significance of the museum in society. Little surprise why college going youngsters kind the biggest variety of guests to the museum versus authorities functionaries and key stake holders within the nation. Even the road ministry, the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, the Museum is underneath doesn’t appear to grasp its significance in nation constructing. The Ministry priorities its actions and supporting the museum is just not a precedence. Thus in time of financial stringency the museum is a inclined space to swindle funds (Sierra Leone Nationwide Museum Prospectus, 2013). If due to this fact authorities needs the Nationwide Museum to proceed taking part in an ever rising function in nationwide improvement there may be each want for presidency functionaries to offer second thought on how finest they’ll help it to satisfy this aim. The place the challenges confronted by administration are addressed the museum too will help generate the a lot wanted overseas alternate along with its preservation of the nationwide heritage.
