The history of the museums grouped together under the National Museum of World Cultures stretches back almost two centuries. The collections of the three constituent museums have been built up in part through the combination and exchange of collections with other heritage institutions, purchases, legacies and gifts. The collection comprises objects and photographs from Asia (particularly Indonesia and Japan); Oceania; the Americas (North, South and Central America) and the circumpolar regions. Fashion, design and popular culture are also well-represented.
Today we still regularly receive gifts of items and photographs from people who value the museum and its collection, for which we offer our heartfelt thanks. As a public institution we ensure that objects are preserved and remain on show for future generations. Thanks to the gifts we receive, the museum can tell the stories attached to small, valuable and seemingly unimportant objects: stories about past and present, customs and religions and the ties that bind us as people.