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World Cultures expertise

Our World Cultures collections include internationally important material from across the globe.

This page outlines the expertise and research interests of the department.

Henrietta Lidchi: Keeper of Department of World Cultures

Responsible for: the Department of World Cultures, its staff, projects and collections.
Research interests/expertise: North American collections, particularly American Southwest; Native American jewellery from the Southwest; visual anthropology; museology; cultural policy.

Friederike Voigt: Senior Curator, Middle East and South Asia

Responsible for: managing the Middle East and South Asia section, covering the Middle East, Iran, Turkey, Central Asia and the Indian cultural area. The collections include applied arts from Islamic cultures, metalwork, glass and ceramics as well as ethnographic and archaeological collections.
Research interests/expertise: Material Culture; Iran, especially Iranian tiles and ceramics.

Nicola Tayler: Assistant Curator, Middle East and South Asia

Also supports the work of the department.
Research interests: India and South East Asia, esp. Naga arms and warrior regalia, mythology and beliefs.

Kevin McLoughlin: Principal Curator, Central and East Asia

Responsible for: managing the Central and East Asia section, covering China, Japan, Korea and Tibet. The collections include important items of Chinese art, Ainu and prehistoric material from Japan, and ethnographic material from Tibet and Nepal.
Research interests/expertise: Chinese print and book culture; Ming period visual and material culture, Chinese Buddhism; and the display and interpretation of East Asia in the museum context.

Rosina Buckland: Senior Curator, East and Central Asia

Responsible for: working with and researching Japanese art collections.
Research interests/expertise: Late Edo period (1615-1868) and early Meiji era (1868-1912) art and culture, especially literati arts.

Mary Redfern: Assistant Curator, Central and East Asia

Also supports the work of the department.
Research interests: Japan’s prehistory and archaeology, Ainu, Neil Gordon Munro collection.

Chantal Knowles: Principal Curator, Oceania, Americas and Africa (on leave until February 2011)

Responsible for: the section covering Oceania, North America, Central and South America and Africa. The collections include objects from the voyages of Captain James Cook, Canadian First Nations, Pre-Columbian collections from South and Central America, early Polynesian artefacts and ethnographic material from West Africa.
Research interests/expertise: Pacific Collections in particular those from Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Tahiti; early expeditions and Scottish collectors of ethnographic artefacts; and museum collecting practice and policy.

Julie Adams: Principal Curator, Oceania, Americas and Africa (temporary to February 2011)

Responsible for: the section covering Oceania, North America, Central and South America and Africa. The collections include objects from the voyages of Captain James Cook, Canadian First Nations, Pre-Columbian collections from South and Central America, early Polynesian artefacts and ethnographic material from West Africa.
Research interests/expertise: Pacific Collections; in particular contemporary Maori art, culture and art in Melanesia.

Brenda McGoff: Assistant Curator, Oceania, Americas and Africa (on extended leave until August 2010)

Also supports the work of the department.
Research interests: Australian Aboriginal Art; Kiribati Weapons and Warfare, Pacific collectors.

Ross Irving: Assistant Curator, Oceania, Americas and Africa (temporary to August 2010)

Also supports the work of the department.

Sarah Worden: Curator, Africa Collections

Responsible for: collections from across sub-Saharan and North-east Africa.
Research interests: Textiles, clothing and adornment, especially Hausa of Northern Nigeria.

Susan Lewandowski: Assistant Curator, Musical Instruments Collection

Responsible for: organising and archiving the Jean Jenkins ethnomusicological collection. Also supports the work of the department.
Research interests: musical instruments, music and performance around the world.

Principal Curator, Ancient Mediterranean (on hold)

Responsible for: managing the Mediterranean Archaeology section. The collections principally include important archaeological objects and groups from ancient Egypt, the Near East and Cyprus, and the classical civilisations of Greece and Rome.

Senior Curator, Ancient Mediterranean (post vacant)

Responsible for: the Ancient Mediterranean collections with emphasis on managing Ancient Egyptian collections.

Lesley-Ann Liddiard: Assistant Curator, Ancient Mediterranean

Supports the work of the section, especially Ancient Egypt, as well as the work of the department.
Research interests: aspects of ancient Egyptian material culture; aspects of Near Eastern material culture and collectors.

Katharine Malcolm: Assistant Curator, Artistic Legacies Gallery

Supports the work of the Artistic Legacies gallery, as well as the work of the department.
Research interests: Decorative arts, historic and contemporary (esp. ceramics, jewellery and metalwork, calligraphy), North American collections.

Ceava Potter: Departmental Administrator

Can be contacted on 0131 247 4230 or c.potter@nms.ac.uk

Owing to current levels of activity within the World Cultures Department, it has become necessary to restrict access to parts of the collection. Staff will only be able to meet with visitors by appointment. Unfortunately we will be unable to react to spontaneous requests.

If you would like to arrange an appointment, please contact the main switchboard, using the details listed above.