Curator-led guided tour of the Collection Exhibition

Divided into eight themes, the exhibition offers different historical perspectives; rather than telling a single story, visitors can explore Hungarian traditions and the cultures of other peoples through various topics. The exhibition also focuses on the life of the artefacts in the collection, the fieldwork carried out by the experts, the history of the museum, and the treasures of folk art and their impact. At the same time, visitors will also learn about the relationship between art and ethnography, prehistoric research, and the concept of heritage. In addition to the attributes of Buso festivities, embroidered Matyó aprons, Székely costumes, Oceanian funerary masks and fishing tools from the Lower Danube, there are numerous themes that present a complex relationship with our heritage.

The exhibits of the permanent collection not only challenge the stereotypes attached to them through thrilling tales but also speak of the inseparable relationship between people and objects. The bridal chests dating back to the 18th century evoke family life across generations, and visitors can discover how the figurine of a Khanti shaman and his relative who lived more than 100 years later found each other in the museum. Wandering among objects of astonishing beauty, visitors may contemplate the consequences of treating ethnographic objects as works of art, removing them from their original functions. Visitors may encounter ancient artefacts and their thrilling stories, such as the 170 kg stela of a Maya ruler, which was made in 731, discovered in the 1930s, then stolen and mutilated in the 1960s, and finally brought to Budapest through an official art exchange. They can also see the objects of the Khanti and the Mansi, collected by Antal Reguly in the 1840s. The vast material stored for a long time in the National Museum was finally inventoried in 1872 by János Xántus, the first director of the Museum of Ethnography, whose collections, including a Japanese lantern with the first inventory number, is also on display.

Exhibition guide: Hannah Foster curator

Participation in the programme requires the purchase of an admission ticket and a guided tour ticket. Both tickets may be purchased online or on site.

Please select the date of the programme when purchasing your ticket.

Tickets for the exhibition

Tickets for the guided tour