Pacific collections at National Museums Scotland
There are around 5000 Pacific objects in the World Cultures collection of National Museums Scotland. The collection has its beginnings in the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, the University of Edinburgh Natural History Museum and the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
The museum houses early voyage material including objects from the second and third voyages of Captain James Cook (1772-79) and of Captain Beechey (1825-28). Since the founding of the Royal Museum in 1854, Pacific material has been actively collected through links with Scottish soldiers, missionaries, traders, explorers and emigrants.
The collection encompasses domestic material, clothing and personal ornament, textiles (including an extensive collection of barkcloth), weapons, tools, model boats and musical instruments. Particular objects are associated with important individuals, such as Tahitian artefacts from the late 19th century brought to Scotland by Princess Titaua of Tahiti after her marriage to George Darsie of Fife. The museum continues to acquire both historical and contemporary material.
Pacific collections at National Museums Scotland
- Admiralty Islands collection
- Austral Islands collection
- Caroline Islands collection
- Cook Islands collection
- Easter Island collection
- Fiji collection
- Hawaiian Islands
- Kiribati collection
- Marquesas Islands collection
- Marshall Islands collection
- New Britain collection
- New Caledonia collection
- New Ireland collection
- New Zealand collection
- Niue collection
- Papua New Guinea collection
- Pitcairn collection
- Samoa collection
- Society Islands collection
- Solomon Islands collection
- Tokelau collection
- Tonga collection
- Torres Strait Islands collection
- Tuamotu and Gambier Islands collection
- Tuvalu collection
- Vanuatu collection
- West Papua collection
- Western Islands (PNG) collection