Further Media
What You cannot see “live” at the Moment:
For the special exhibition and to document the research on the Tongan musical scores sent back by Cook’s expedition, the Museum purchased a Tongan nose flute in 2023, as they are used locally today. This acquisition proved to be an adventurous process, illustrating the museum’s daily operations as well as its logistical and conservation challenges.
Initially, the instrument’s damage was diagnosed when it arrived in Saxony – apparently, fluctuations in air pressure or temperature in the cargo hold of the airplane on its way to Europe had stressed the material to the point that a crack appeared along the entire length of the bamboo tube, rendering the instrument unusable. Our restoration department must now determine whether the repair can restore the instrument to its original condition or whether the damage can only be concealed.
The restorers also discovered that tiny insect cocoons (see photos in “other media”) had been transported with the instrument to Europe, which means that the piece will have to undergo several weeks of pesticide treatment. Only then it can be included in the exhibition and collection so that the other objects are not endangered by insect infestation.
In a way, the story of the translocation of the fangufangu in 2023 also sheds light on all the dangers that Captain Cook and his companions faced 250 years ago when they brought back the first cultural artifacts from Oceania to Europe. It is all the more remarkable that many of these original Polynesian artifacts have survived and are now available not only to European museum visitors, but also for exchange with the original societies in Oceania.