Dundo - The Cicuvu (Cinguvu), Mucupela, Mussandas, Cabaças and the anatomical collection of the Natural Science space of the Dundo Regional Museum, in Lunda-Norte province, are deteriorating due to the lack of specific products such as formaldehyde, for their conservation.
The information was provided on Wednesday, Jan 8, by the director of the institution, Samuel Minerva, when he spoke to the press about the functioning of the infrastructure housing the habits and customs of the Lunda-Tchokwe people, located in the heart of the city of Dundo.
According to the director, the situation is forcing a significant reduction in the exhibition of pieces, demotivating the interest of national and foreign citizens, mainly adults, in visiting the museum.
It has become increasingly clear that the deterioration of museum artefacts is taking away the originality that has always been evident in the Museum's collection, admitting the possibility of some being slaughtered after being evaluated by a technical committee.
“We will work to select the pieces that can still be reused, and the evaluation committee will decide the final destination of the others”, he highlighted.
He stated that the situation is known by the Ministry of Culture and the local govt, which have already given guarantees to solve the issue in the coming days, with a view to safeguarding the pieces that are still in good condition and avoiding the reduction of the museum collection.
He said that this month an evaluation committee from the Ministry of Culture is expected to arrive in the area, to assess the state of the collection, to later determine which of the pieces can still be recovered.
He highlighted that until 2018, the museum had more than 9 thousand artefacts, but currently, the number has reduced to 7, due to the poor state of conservation.
The museum, with more than 100 years of existence, helps society identify events in history, which were decisive and essential for the construction of the Lunda Empire.
To help preserve memories and, at the same time, explain them to those interested, the institution has a collection full of ethnographic, biological, archaeological, sacred and popular art articles and collections and some objects that relate to the history of the Industrial Revolution, such as the exploration of diamonds.
The Dundo Museum's ethnographic collections constitute the main component of the institution's corporate purpose and are the result of the first campaign to collect pieces, called the Camaxilo expedition, carried out in the year of 1937, and Alto Zambeze, in 1939.
HD/CF/jmc
