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Aztec Objects in Museums Collections Survey

29th Jul 2013

Aztec Objects in Museums Collections Survey

Central and South American display case at Royal Albert Memorial Museum Exeter

It’s out! Thanks to the steadfast efforts of Newcastle University Museum Studies postgraduate student Stacey Home, we’re finally (summer 2013) able to upload the results of her survey, carried out last year, of Aztec objects in museums around Britain and of public attitudes towards the Aztecs (Mexica). Not only is this the first such survey - that we’re aware of - of its kind in this country, and the results by themselves will be of wide interest, but we are already planning to build on them in a rather innovative way. WATCH THIS SPACE...! (Written/compiled by Ian Mursell/Mexicolore)

NOTES!
• This survey is by no means comprehensive; it does however contain some delightful surprises...
• You can read the full results by clicking on the PDF file at the bottom of the page
• You can read more of the background to the attitudes survey - and indeed see the original survey questions - by following the link (below) to our ‘Getting Involved’ page.

Here are Stacey Home’s conclusions:-

After starting my project about the Aztecs back in April 2012, I am very pleased to be able to share the results on Mexicolore. The main aims of the project were to find out about Aztec collections in UK museums and people’s attitudes to the Aztecs. Some of the attitude surveys were answered by visitors to the Mexicolore website, the others were answered by the general public.

Lots of lovely people responded to the attitude surveys and many curators took the time to send details about their Aztec objects...

Curator Surveys

• Of over 1500 UK museums who were contacted, fifteen had Aztec objects in their collection
• The curator surveys uncovered new and interesting objects such as an Aztec necklace at Bournemouth Museum (see pic)
• A few curators said that they had some Aztec objects but would need to do more research to be sure
• Only four of the 15 museums have Aztec objects on display in the museum. Some curators said that they would love to do an Aztec exhibition but they don’t have enough objects or money to do so
• Most curators wrote back to say they didn’t have any Aztec objects but that they thought the project was very interesting!

Museums containing Aztec objects and number held:-

• Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery: 80
• Bolton Museum: 91
• Bristol City Museum: 100
• British Museum, London: 530
• Colchester and Ipswich Museums: 1
• Derby Museums and Galleries: 39
• Horniman Museum, London: 170
• Hunterian Museum, University of Glasgow: 45
• King’s Museum, University of Aberdeen: 81
• Leeds Museums and Galleries: 20
• Liverpool World Museum: 75
• Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology, Cambridge: 190
• Powysland Museum, Welshpool: 19
• Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery, Exeter: 15
• Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum, Bournemouth: 1.

Attitude Surveys

• The surveys asked whether people had heard about Aztec culture; most people said they had heard about the Aztecs but some knew more about them than others.
• The people that answered the Mexicolore surveys said they knew the most about the Aztecs compared to the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians and Chinese. The general public felt they knew the most about the Romans and Egyptians and knew the least about Aztec culture.
• The surveys showed that people have varied knowledge about Aztec culture. Human Sacrifice, gold and chocolate were the most common answers to the public surveys. Some people expressed a more advanced level of knowledge of Aztec mentioning Moctezuma and Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital in their answers. Some of the people who answered the public surveys were confused about where the Aztecs came from and some got the Aztecs mixed up with the Incas. Mexicolore visitors mentioned several times that the Aztecs called themselves the Mexica.
• 75% of people said they would want to visit an Aztec exhibition if given the chance. Most people said this was because they were interested in the Aztecs and wanted to learn more.

Picture sources:-

• Photos from the Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery, Exeter (inc. main photo, top, of the Central and South American display case) courtesy of Tony Eccles, Curator of Ethnography
• Photo of the Aztec necklace, courtesy of Duncan Walker, Collections Officer (Information), and © The Russell–Cotes Art Gallery & Museum, Bournemouth
• Image (fol. 2) from the Codex Mendoza (original in the Bodleian Library, Oxford) scanned from our own copy of the 1938 James Cooper Clark facsimile edition, London.

Background to the attitude survey on the Aztecs

Comments (2)

K

Katia H

30th Jul 2013

The survey results were interesting - it’s very encouraging that the UK public want to see more Aztec exhibits. Naturally the Mexicolore visitors represent the faction who knows about the Aztecs.

t

tecpaocelotl

30th Jul 2013

I would like to see a break down of other in the country of origin.

Aztec Objects in Museums Collections Survey

Central and South American display case at Royal Albert Memorial Museum Exeter

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