An Uncomfortable Possession. Modeled skulls in a mission museum: their provenance and their shifting meaning over time.

Abstract

The Missiemuseum Steyl (The Netherlands) exhibits five modeled skulls from the Sepik-area in Papua New Guina, from the collection of the missionary society of the Divine Word (SVD) and keeps two from the collection of the Holy Spirit missionary sisters (SSpS). They are an uncomfortable possession for the congregations in Steyl. They were once collected in a way that we no longer consider ethical and displayed in a way that we now regard as problematic: as symbols of a dark, dangerous world, where the missionaries came to bring the light. The current SVD and SSpS have a very different view of the world and would prefer to part with these reminders of their less enlightened times. The Missiemuseum decided to investigate whether the skulls could be returned to Papua New Guinea. To do so, it was necessary to find out as much as possible about their history: where, when, by whom and how were they acquired? Could we identify the village where they originally came from? To this end, archival research was carried out in Steyl and Rome. Material research was also carried out: the composition of the clay was examined in the hope of finding clues about its exact origin. This was unsuccessful; the archives are scarce and fragmentary, and laboratory analysis also failed to provide any conclusive answers. This hampered the restitution process. The fact that it is not clear exactly to whom the skulls belonged, means that the current residents of the area definitely do not want them back. After all, they could also be the skulls of enemies. At the time they were collected, in the early 20th century, there was such a lively trade in modeled skulls that people started producing them for the market, using every skull available, sometimes even those taken from enemies. X-ray examination of the skulls confirms that it is indeed very probable that there are “enemy” skulls among them. This case shows that there is no one-size-fits-all solution for the restitution of human remains, but that it always depends on culture and context. In the course of the investigation, the individuals to whom the skulls once belonged increasingly emerged from what were once merely museum objects. And that only increases the responsibility the museum feels.

The case of the skulls in Steyl is placed in the context of the current public debate. Their original function and the history of their collecting are examined. Their ideological function for the mission is investigated, as well as how they could now function as mediators in a new, more equal relationship between the Sepik and Steyl.