1. Definition of Museology; Scope of Museology; History of Museum in India
Definition of Museology
Museology (or Museum Studies) is the scientific study of museums. It covers the theory, history, and societal role of museums, as well as the principles behind their organization, management, and activities.
Museology vs. Museography:
Museology: The *theory* of museums (Why do museums exist? What is their role? What are the ethics of collecting?).
Museography: The *practice* and application of museology (How to design an exhibit? What lighting to use? How to conserve an object?).
Scope of Museology
Museology is a wide-ranging field that covers all functions of a museum. Its scope includes:
Collection & Acquisition: The principles and policies for acquiring objects (by purchase, donation, bequest, or fieldwork).
Documentation & Registration: The systematic recording of all information about an object (its origin, history, condition). This includes Accessioning (assigning a unique number) and Cataloguing.
Conservation & Preservation:
Preventive Conservation: Controlling the environment (light, humidity, temperature) to *prevent* decay.
Remedial Conservation: Actively repairing or stabilizing a damaged object.
Exhibition & Display: The methods and techniques for communicating information and telling stories to the public using objects in a gallery.
Education & Outreach: The role of the museum as an educational institution, including guided tours, workshops, lectures, and publications.
Museum Management: Administration, finance, marketing, and legal ethics.
History of Museum in India
Ancient/Medieval: While there were no "public museums," collections existed in royal treasuries (ratna-bhandaras) and temple collections.
Colonial Period (The Beginning):
1784: The Asiatic Society of Bengal is founded in Calcutta by Sir William Jones.
1796: The Society announces its intention to start a museum.
1814: The Indian Museum, Kolkata is formally established, with Dr. Nathaniel Wallich as its first curator. It is the oldest museum in India and the entire Asia-Pacific region.
19th Century: The British establish "provincial" museums across India, such as the Madras Museum (1851) and the Victoria & Albert Museum, Bombay (now Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum).
Post-Independence (Expansion):
1949: The National Museum, New Delhi is established, reflecting the new nation's identity.
Growth of various types of museums: State Museums (for state-level heritage), University Museums, and specialized museums (e.g., National Rail Museum).
2. Types of Museums; Site-Museum; Museum of specific display
Types of Museums
Museums can be classified in many ways, but the most common is by the *type of collection* they hold:
Archaeology Museums: Focus on artifacts from the human past (e.g., National Museum).
Art Museums/Galleries: Focus on paintings, sculpture, and decorative arts (e.g., National Gallery of Modern Art).
Natural History Museums: Focus on the natural world (zoology, botany, geology, fossils).
Ethnography/Anthropology Museums: Focus on human cultures and their material objects.
Science & Technology Museums: Focus on scientific principles and industrial history (e.g., Birla Industrial & Technological Museum).
General/Multipurpose Museums: Cover multiple categories (e.g., Indian Museum, which has art, archaeology, and natural history).
Site-Museum
A Site-Museum is a museum constructed at or near an archaeological site, specifically to house and display the objects excavated from that very site.
Purpose: The primary advantage is preserving context. Visitors can see the artifacts (like sculptures or tools) and then immediately see the ruins of the buildings or structures where they were found.
Examples in India: The ASI maintains a large network of site museums.
Sarnath Museum (Uttar Pradesh): Houses the original Lion Capital of Ashoka.
Nalanda Museum (Bihar): Displays objects found at the Nalanda university ruins.
Hampi Museum (Karnataka): Houses sculptures and architectural fragments from the Hampi ruins.
Museum of specific display
This category refers to Specialized Museums that focus on a very narrow or specific theme, rather than a broad subject like "art" or "history."
Examples in India:
National Rail Museum, New Delhi: Focuses only on the history of railways in India.
Calico Museum of Textiles, Ahmedabad: One of the world's finest museums dedicated only to textiles.
Shankar's International Dolls Museum, New Delhi: A museum displaying a collection of dolls from around the world.
3. A study of Indian Museum, Kolkata; National Museum, New Delhi & State Museum, Guwahati
Indian Museum, Kolkata
Established: 1814.
Significance: The oldest and one of the largest multipurpose museums in India. It grew from the collection of the Asiatic Society.
Building: A massive, grand colonial-era building.
Key Collections (Highlights):
Bharhut Gallery: Contains the original stone railings (vedika) from the Bharhut Stupa (a Shunga-period site), showing early Buddhist art.
Gandhara Gallery: An extensive collection of Greco-Buddhist sculptures from Gandhara.
Egyptian Gallery: Famously holds a 4,000-year-old Egyptian Mummy.
Natural History: Has vast galleries for Zoology, Botany, and Geology (including large dinosaur and whale skeletons).
National Museum, New Delhi
Established: 1949 (after independence).
Significance: The premier national-level museum, intended to showcase the full sweep of Indian history and art from prehistory to the modern day.
Key Collections (Highlights):
Harappan Gallery: Contains priceless originals from the Indus Valley Civilization, including the famous "Dancing Girl" bronze, seals, and painted pottery.
Mauryan, Shunga, Satavahana Gallery: Features sculptures from this early historical period.
Miniature Painting Gallery: One of the world's best collections of Mughal, Rajasthani, and Pahari miniature paintings.
Central Asian Antiquities: A vast collection of artifacts (wall paintings, silks, manuscripts) brought back by Sir Aurel Stein from his Silk Road expeditions.
State Museum, Guwahati
Established: 1940 (as the Assam Provincial Museum).
Significance: The most important museum for preserving and displaying the history, archaeology, and culture of Assam and Northeast India.
Key Collections (Highlights):
Epigraphy Gallery: A strong collection of stone and copper-plate inscriptions from ancient and medieval Assam (e.g., from the Kamarupa kings).
Sculpture Gallery: Features sculptures from important regional sites like Ambari (Guwahati) and Madan Kamdev, showing the local Assam school of art.
Ethnography Gallery: A very important section displaying the diverse material culture (textiles, weapons, ornaments, musical instruments) of the various tribes of Assam and the Northeast.
Manuscript Section: Preserves traditional sanchi-pat (bark) manuscripts.