One of the most important features of the Pitt Rivers Museum is that it presents objects in its displays by typology (that is by the type of object it is, a weapon, tool, status object etc). This division is reflected in the way that objects information is handled, but here the typology is called 'a class'. All PRM objects are identified by a number of classes, for example a ceremonial spear might be described as a 'weapon', 'ceremonial object', 'status object' etc. We have used the same system to classify the second collection. This page shows the results of this analysis for both collections, but note that one object, as has been explained, might have more than one class and this analysis reflects that.

The following table shows how much difference there is between the collections with almost every class showing a markedly different number of objects from each collection (given that the size of the collections is relatively similar). The most obvious different classes are (with larger collection shown in parenthesis afterwards): Basketry (founding); Currency (2nd); Dwelling & Furniture (2nd); Figures (2nd); Food (2nd); Hunting (Founding); Lighting (2nd); Locks (2nd); Models (Founding); Navigation (founding); Physical Anthropology (founding); Plant (founding) Specimens (founding); Theatre (founding); Tools (founding); Vessels (2nd), Weapons or tools (founding). These differences suggest to me a change of emphasis from an interest in techniques (basketry, specimens, tools) to a more aesthetic choice (vessels, currency, furniture).

There are a few very similarly sized classes: Animal Gear,  Metallurgy, pottery, punishment and torture, religious items, reproductions, status items, toilet articles, definite weapons.

 

 

Founding collection number of objects

Second collection number of objects

Agriculture

55

141

Animalia

240

51

Animal Gear

277

237

Bags

141

31

Barkcloth

42

3

Basketry

349

58

Body Art

52

30

Boxes

157

220

Carvings

43

86

Ceremonial items

200

97

Children-related

108

19

Clothing

539

346

Commemorative items

5

9

Cordage

474

11

Currency

87

1005

Dance

71

48

Death-related

325

678

Dwelling-related including furniture

219

508

Fans

22

17

Figures

1551

2460

Fire-related

79

31

Firearms (note also included in weapons figures)

246

75

Fishing-related

456

113

Food-related

469

916

Geological specimens

119

47

Headhunting-related

3

9

Hunting-related

245

68

Insignia-related

64

84

Lighting

130

463

Locks

64

245

Marriage-related

5

15

Masks

126

52

Measurement-related

65

91

Medicine

91

51

Metallurgy

25

28

Models

421

129

Musical instruments

353

206

Narcotics-related

229

390

Navigation

448

99

Ornaments & Beads

1898

2860

Physical Anthropology-related

580

62

Pictures

173

234

Plant specimens

199

1

Pottery related

4137

4177

Punishment and Torture

29

22

Religious items

904

927

Reproductions

161

155

Scientific Apparatus

1

4

Specimens

462

139

Sport-related

15

1

Status-related

177

134

Techniques-related

66

0

Textiles

336

495

Theatre-related

107

2

Time-related

7

15

Toilet articles

288

237

Definite Tools

3694

2458

Toys & Games

445

235

Trade-related

79

7

Transport-related

276

108

Vessels

1326

4321

Definite Weapons

2883

2281

Weapons or tools

2395

863

Writing-related

242

156

 

 

AP, May 2010

prm logo

leverhulmelogo

oxunilogo