Milan Stuchlík and Mapuche: The Ethnographic Collection in the Náprstek Museum

Abstract

Milan Stuchlík (1932–1980) was a renowned ethnographer, anthropologist, museologist, and academician. During his field research in Chile (1968–1973) he gathered a remarkable collection of material culture of the Mapuche ethnic group. This includes objects used for dining and food storage, textiles, simple tools, as well as artifacts associated with religious and festive life. Almost fifty years after the acquisition of this collection by the Náprstek Museum, the Stuchlík Collection is now published. Special attention is paid to the circumstances of the acquisition of the collection, the donors, and the original owners of the objects. The personality of Milan Stuchlík is also briefly introduced, with emphasis on his field research and collecting activities in Chile.