From canoes, clothing and contemporary artworks to jewellery,
toys and ship-wrecked treasure, items that span both the globe and
the centuries are displayed across our eight World Cultures
galleries. Showcasing some of the museum’s oldest and most
important historical collections, these galleries demonstrate
Scotland's international links, while ancient artefacts
and striking new acquisitions explore how traditional ways of
life have adapted and developed in the modern world.
Art has always captured and conveyed human spirit, culture and
imagination. The Artistic Legacies gallery illuminates the
relationship between artistic traditions and the work of
contemporary artists.
Facing the Sea is the only gallery in the UK dedicated to
the cultures of the South Pacific. In this gallery you can
discover the phenomenal diversity of the peoples living in the
Pacific, their island culture and relationship with the sea.
Aimed at families with children under eight, Imagine gives our
family visitors a very special experience in the museum, allowing
them to spend time together exploring and creating stories, art and
music, all inspired by real objects from around the world.
This gallery examines the ways in which humanity has engaged
emotionally, spiritually, religiously and culturally with nature
through art. Objects on display range from large scale to tiny,
ancient to contemporary.
From the North American Arctic to the deserts of Australia, the
peoples in this gallery lead contemporary lives, but their
traditional values are based on a deep connection to the land –
lands mapped, known and even created by their ancestors.
From tiny netsuke to a suit of Samurai armour, superb ceramics
to sculpture, exquisite snuff bottles to burial goods, the Looking
East gallery displays highlights from National Museums Scotland's
rich and diverse collection of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean
material.
Drawing on our collections from Africa, the America, Asia and
the Middle East, Patterns of Life exhibits objects across the
cultures from these regions used every day or on special occasions.
Visiting this gallery you will be able to share similarities and
differences in people’s lives around the world.
Music, sound and performance are important to people’s lives all
over the world. Through costumes, masks and instruments, this
gallery explores how sounds and rhythm are at the centre of
ceremonies and performances, from community festivals to sacred
rituals.