如今的民族学博物馆发展前景黯淡,为此必须建立新型民族学博物馆。20世纪早期,殖民当局在非洲建立了民族学博物馆,为的是收集可用于殖民地和世界展览的物品。他们想用非洲国家的“奇珍异物”和“民间风俗”来获得本国人的关注,这样便可理所当然地留在殖民地。这些藏品由各种稀奇的物品构成—大部分是面具、雕像和装饰物—它们几乎没有共同点,通常是旅行者、传教士、殖民官员和军事人员收藏的纪念品。 Today’s Ethnology Museum bleak prospects for development, for which we must establish a new museum of ethnology. In the early 20th century, colonial authorities established ethnological museums in Africa in order to collect items that could be used in colonial and world exhibitions. They want to gain the attention of their own people from African countries, “exotic things” and “folk customs,” so that they can naturally stay in the colonies. These collections are made up of a myriad of items - mostly masks, statues and ornaments - that have little in common with them, usually memorabilia collected by travelers, missionaries, colonial officials and military personnel.