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Anthropological collection in the National Museum includes nearly
ten thousand objects of ethnographic interest. While a considerable
number of rare items came as gift from various states and the union
territories between the late fiftees and early sixtees, some of
these objects were collected during the exploratory expeditions
conducted by the officials of the department in the tribal belts
and rural areas. The acquisition of certain private collections
of anthroplogical significance have further enriched the collection.
In 1964-65, about 2000 objects of tribal art and crafts were acquired
by the Museum from the collection of Dr. verrier Elwin who collected
the materials from Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Orissa in the late
thirties and later on from Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland. These
items manifest the rituals and customs related to life cycles and
economic pursuit of the tribals and highlight their magico-religious
practices and world view. In 1980, an important private collection
of 300 musical instruments was acquired from Smt. Sharan Rani Backliwal,
a leading sarod maestro of the country. It is exhibited in the Sharan
Rani Backliwal Gallery of musical instruments. This gallery is the
only one of its kind in the world, which provides the best view
one can get of Indian instruments in terms of historicity, authenticity,
antiquity and quality. She collected these items with discernment
and attention from different parts of the country and abroad, and
gifted them to the National Museum. The remaining collection has
been purchased by the Museum from the private dealers. The collection,
classified and documented, includes headgears, footwears, dresses,
ornaments, musical instruments, terracottas, scroll paintings, santhal
paintings, Madhubani paintings, wood carvings, masks, weapons, metal
images, leather puppets and a variety of other objects used in daily
life.
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