Restricted Technical Report PP/1981-1983/4/3.6/03 BANGLADESH

Participation and co-operation for development programmes

Folk Arts and Crafts M u s e u m

by Jyotindra Jain

Serial N o . F M R / C L T / C D / 8 4 / 1 5 0

j ' | United Nations Educational, Scientific = • and Cultural Organization

Paris, 1984

B A N G L A D E S H

FOLK ARTS AND CRAFTS MUSEUM,

SONARGAON

by Jyotindra Jain

Report prepared for the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh by the United Nations ¿ducaoional, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco)

U N E S C O

Technical ReDort PP/l981-1933/4/3.5/03 FMR/C LT/CD/8 4/15 0(Ja i n) 25 December 1984

© Unesco 1984 Printed in France

(i)

Preface

At the request of the Government of Bangladesh, Unesco sent a consultant to Bangladesh from 6 November to 5 December 1983, with the following terms of reference:

(a) to evaluate the current situation of the collection for the future Folk Arts and Crafts Museum (crafts villages, 'mini-Bangladesh');

(b) to advise the national counterparts on the planning policies and the strategies for the establishment of a permanent Folk Arts and Crafts Museum and set up a training programme for the Museum personnel;

(c) to make a status of implementation and draft a report containing recommendations to the national authorities.

The mission was carried out under Unesco's Participation Programme for 1981-1983 by Dr Jyotindra Jain, anthropologist, art historian, museologist and specialist of folk and tribal arts of South Asia.

The consultant is greatly indebted to all those who assisted in the work of the mission by providing information, advice and facilities.

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CONTENTS

Page

Preface (i)

PART 1 - THE PRESENT SITUATION 1

I. HERITAGE OF FOLK ARTS AND CRAFTS OF BANGLADESH , 1

II. IMPORTANCE OF A NATIONAL MUSEUM OF FOLK ARTS AND CRAFTS OF BANGLADESH 5

III. THE PRESENT MUSEUM: ITS CONCEPT, BUILDING AND SURROUNDINGS 6

IV. THE COLLECTION 10

V. THE DISPLAY AND STORAGE OF THE COLLECTION 11

VI. REGISTRATION AND DOCUMENTATION 12

VII. CONSERVATION 13

VIII. LIBRARY 13

IX. RESEARCH AND PUBLICATIONS 13

X. SECURITY . '. 13

XI. CRAFT SHOP 13

PART 2 - RECOMMENDATIONS ON PLANNING POLICIES AND STRATEGIES FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A PERMANENT FOLK ARTS AND CRAFTS MUSEUM AND ' MINI BANGLADESH ' ' 1̂-

I. CONCEPT AND SCOPE lU

II. THE SITE, BUILDING, LAYOUT OF MINI-BANGLADESH AND THE CRAFTS VILLAGE 16

III. COLLECTION OF OBJECTS FOR THE MUSEUM AND THE SELECTION OF HOUSING TYPES FOR THE 'MINI-BANGLADESH1 RURAL COMPLEX 19

IV. CONSERVATION 20

V. DISPLAY AND STORAGE ' 21

VI. RESEARCH AND DOCUMENTATION 22

VII. ADMINISTRATION AND STAFF 24

VIII. TRAINING PROGRAMME FOR THE MUSEUM PERSONNEL 24

IX. APPROXIMATE COSTS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RECOMMENDED PROGRAMME 25

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APPENDICES

Page

1. List of the crafts villages 27

2. The staff and administration of the Museum ^3

3. Table showing the approximate costs of implementation of the recommended programme with explanatory notes ^5

4. Bangladesh Folk Art and Craft Foundation Museum: inventory/ documentation card ^9

5. The scope of the Museum (Chart A) 51

6. Sardar Bari at Sonargaon : ground floor plan 52

7. Area map of Bangladesh Folk Art and Crafts Foundation (Folk Art Museum) 53

LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHIC ILLUSTRATIONS

1. Terracotta pots at a market 55

2. Terracotta pots being transported 55

3. Baskets at a market 55

4. Bamboo mats at a market 56

5. Wooden objects at a market 56

6. Entrance to Sonargaon showing brick paved path 57

7. The Museum building and its approach road 57

8. Museum building ; entrance 58

9. Museum building; side view 58

10. Display in open courtyard and verandah 58

11. Rural hut; front view 59

12. Rural hut; side view 59

13. Rural hut; close-up 59

14. Rural hut; interior 60

15. Rural hut; interior 60

16. Oil-mill; rural complex 60

17. Crafts workshop in the rural complex 61

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Page

18. Craftsmen at- the Museum making a terracotta figure 61

19. Model of the proposed new building of the Museum 62

20. Proposed site-plan of the Museum and rural complex 62

21. Land for Museum's expansion "2

22-27. Terracottas from the Museum collection 63-65

28-30. Painted terracotta ware from Museum collection 65-66

31. Painted paper scroll from Museum collection 66

32. Painted mask of papier maché from Museum collection 66

33-36. Wood carvings from Museum collection 67

37. Woven mat from Museum collection 68

38. Woven fan from Museum collection 68

39. Bamboo fish-trap from Museum collection 69

40. Embroidered bag from Museum collection 69

41. Detail of embroidered quilt from Museum collection 69

42-44. Cake moulds of stone from Museum collection 70-71

45. Brass pot from Museum collection 71

46. Silver necklace from Museum collection 71

47. Display gallery showing contrast between palatial building and rural display 72

48-49. Display galleries showing direct exposure of objects to sunlight and sprinkle water in monsoon 72

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PART 1 - THE PRESENT SITUATION

I. HERITAGE OF FOLK ARTS AND CRAFTS OF BANGLADESH

1. One of the most important geographic features of Bangladesh is its deltaic landscape created by its three major rivers: the Brahmaputra, the Ganga and the Meghna and their innumerable tributaries. This physical situation has influenced not only the socio-economic and cultural life of Bangladesh, but has determined also the character of its art and crafts. Bangladesh does not have architecturally usable stone in any considerable quantity. On the other hand, the alluvial soil brought by the rivers provided good mouldable clay in large quantity and therefore finely made bricks took over the role of stone in architecture. Due to the humid tropical climate and the fertile soil there is abundant vegetation; cane and bamboo are craft related plants which have played an important role in shaping the artistic background of Bangladesh.

2. A casual glance at the history of art and crafts of Bangladesh demonstrates that from very ancient times the tradition of monumental architecture of temples, stupas, mosques, forts and palaces, patronized by the ruling houses, and the rural crafts-traditions put to use for making objects of everyday life, have existed side by side and complementary to each other rather than as two distinct watertight compartments. Moreover, the hill-tribes, the village communities and the urban populations have always been an integral part of the cultural life of Bangladesh. The dividing line between the so-called 'classical' tradition of temple, stupa and mosque architecture and the village crafts is rather thin. Though the former had aristocratic patronage and a more sophisticated level of. skills, it was totally dependent on the latter for its existence because it was this tradition which provided the craftsmen and the basic skills inherited from generation to generation. On one side is the florious ancient tradition of historical monuments represented by innumerable buildings such as the third century B.C. ruins of a town called Mahasthangarh; the Buddhist ruins of Paharpur and Mainamati; several Hindu temples of the Pala period and later; and scores of Islamic monuments starting from the twelfth century of the Christian era, including the Lalbagh Fort, the magnificent Moghul building situated in Dhaka. For all practical purposes these ancient traditions of aristocratic architecture ceased to exist by the beginning of the nineteenth century when the forces of modernism from the West made their way into Bangladesh.

3. On the other hand, the folk traditions of village arts and crafts did not cease with the end of the feudal structure because it was rarely dependent on it. Village craftsmen catered to the needs of millions of village folk who continue to exist even today and therefore dynastic or political changes did not affect the strength and continuity of the rural craft traditions. The urban aristocratic patrons utilized local skills from time to time to meet their own needs, but were not able to distort the tradition of individual crafts because compared with the demands of the traditional, provincial village clientele, their urban projects were rather limited. In the course of implement­ation of their grandiose projects the rich patrons inculcated in the craftsmen a sense of fine workmanship and higher skill levels. The survival of rural art and crafts traditions in the villages of Bangladesh is fairly intact, and due to the preservation of rural life in general.

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4. Among the dozens of crafts and art forms, the most important are terracotta, basketry, metal work, textiles, painting. A brief account of some of these crafts is given to provide a background to the nature and scope of the Museum of Folk Art and Crafts of Bangladesh.

Terracotta

5. It is not surprising that a country rich in alluvial soil and poor in stone should excel in the art of making pottery and terracotta figures. Both the techniques of wheel-turning a pot and constructing by 'beating' are known to the potters of Bangladesh. Utensils whose shapes and sizes are suitable for storage of water and grains, for cooking, for rice, etc. are made by Hindu and Muslim potters throughout the land. Some pots used for ritual purposes or for decoration are painted with flora and fauna motifs in bright colours. Similarly, miniature figures of elephants, horses, birds, etc. used as toys are brightly painted.

6. The most remarkable are the circular painted terracotta discs on which the Hindu Goddess Lakhi and her attendants are depicted in powerful fine line strokes and vibrant colours. The style of painting is often reminiscent of narrative scroll paintings.

7. Perhaps the most impressive variety of Bangladesh terracotta are the unpainted, hand-moulded dolls and playthings for children. Using the techniques of hand modelling, pinching, paletting, boring holes with a fine chip of bamboo for special effects, etc. the male and female terracotta artists fashion highly stylized, almost mythological-looking figures of mother and child, horses and elephants, with or without wheels, carts, etc. The modelling is so clean, fine, regular and finished that the artist usually does not have to apply a coat of paint on the final product to hide blemishes. By conscious stylization and distortion the artist seems to come closer to the spirit of the characters that he depicts.

8. The same potters, when they worked for the construction of a temple or a mosque, made bricks with sculptured figures of the gods and goddesses or geo­metric ornaments. The terracotta temples and mosques of Bangladesh are among the most unique forms of architecture.

Basketry work

9. Bangladesh is endowed by nature with a variety of bamboos, canes, grasses and reeds which can be 'woven' into innumerable objects of daily use. Almost anything that is needed for basic living, such as the house with its walls and roof, the bed, the mat, containers, cupboards, chests, fishing equipment, sieves, etc. are made from these materials.

10. The Sylhet and Noakhali regions are famous for their exquisitely patterned prayer mats and common mats for daily use. These are woven by women using a combination of natural coloured warp and red dyed weft. A remarkable range of geometrically conceived motifs such as arches, boats, huts, chairs, hukkas, birds and animals are woven in these soft and comfortable mats.

11. The common household mats woven from extremely fine chips of bamboo demonstrate that the finest things of life were a part of everyday living and were not fashioned as an artistic exercise destined for an art gallery or a museum.

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Jute

12. Bangladesh is rich in jute. From twisted and untwisted jute fibre shika (pot hangers), bags, containers, partition screens, curtains, floorcoverings, hammocks, etc. are made, often adorned with colourful tassels.

Metal work

13. Using the techniques of casting, forging and hammering, the metal workers of Dhaka, Dhamrai, Tangail, etc. fashion a variety of exquisite pots and pans of copper, brass and bronze. Metal casting is a cottage industry and therefore for each object that is cast, a separate set of two clay moulds must be prepared between which molten metal is poured. Cire perdue or the 'lost form' method of casting is well known here.

14. Metal objects for daily use being simple and elegant, easy to lift, carry, handle and clean, valuable even when old and broken, were a part of the socio­economic life of the people.

15. In addition to a whole range of ritual accessories such as the bowls and plates for storing ritual ingredients, temple lamps, bells, seats for installing the cult images, incense burners, etc., a large variety of household objects such as cooking pots and pans, plates, lids, pitchers, spouted pots, boxes and containers, sieves, winnowing fans, measuring bowls, oil bottles, containers for women's beauty culture, hair-drying pins, combs, etc. were designed to combine beauty with utility.

16. Surface ornamentation was created by simple hammering, punching, dye casting or in casting itself. A unique feature of the metal work of Bangladesh is that of making metal objects by using the basketry technique, wherein strips cut from a metal sheet are utilized for 'weaving' the required object.

Ornaments

17. Ornaments of silver, gold, brass, copper and bell-metal with extremely delicate patterning of flower and foliage are traditionally fashioned by the gold and silversmiths of Bangladesh. Techniques of casting repousse dye casting, filigree (twisted wire construction), granulation, inlay work, etc. are known and practised. Amulets, armlets, wristlets, anklets, earrings, nose-rings, necklaces, precious boxes, perfume sprinklers, etc. were a part of an age-old tradition of the land. Dhaka, Rangpur, Dhamrai and Mymensingh are among the more renowned centres of ornament making.

Conehshe11 work

18. An entire street in old Dhaka is inhabited by conchshell workers. Using a specially made heavy saw for cutting the shell these craftsmen make bangles, finger and toe rings, cufflinks, earrings, etc., mainly used by the Hindus. These are adorned with incised patterns. Slight irregularity of shape arising out of the natural form of the conch itself imparts a certain charm to these items.

Textiles

19. The single item of textile craft which has made Dhaka and Bangladesh famous all over the world is the proverbial Dhaka muslin.- References to the fine cloth of Bengal can be traced in ancient literature. Dhaka muslin

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was so finely woven that often it tended to be almost invisible when spread out on any surface.

20. The jamdani or the 'figured muslin' traditionally woven in Bengal, may be considered to be one of the finest products to come out of the looms of Bangladesh. Here, cotton fabric is brocaded with cotton or gold threads. Jamdani is woven by transfixing the loose pattern thread between 'a greater or less number of the threads of warp, in proportion to the size of the design', and then throwing the shuttle to pass the regular weft. By repeating this process, wherein the size and placing of cut thread is in accordance with the character of the pattern, the jamdani weaver produces a range of intricate designs.

21. Another famous textile craft of Bangladesh which deserves to be mentioned here is the nakshi kantha, or the embroidered-quilted textile. Nakshi-kanthas were traditionally made by women by quilting together together old dhotis and saris and embroidered with old 'indigo and madder-dyed threads', recycled from old materials. These covers, wrappings and bags (for storing areca nuts or the holy Koran) embroidered in a variety of running and darning stitches are made for household use and as gifts.

22. One traditional type of kantha had always a central lotus medallion and four trees in the four corners. The rest of the space accommodated episodes from legends, scenes from daily life, birds, animals, trees, and even railway trains, motor cars and gramophones.

23. 'Technically the art of kantha is an enriched textile version of the art of the aripan or alopana, the painting on floor, its magic purpose being enhanced by the textile symbolism of its material in the way this is used'.

24. Traditionally only the madder-red, indigo-blue and iron-rust-black were available as dyes, and therefore the kanthas which were embroidered from threads removed from old textiles and sari-borders had only these three colours.

25. Imaginative use of forms and charming distortions in rendering figures on Kanthas are among the most delightful items of folk art of Bangladesh.

Painting

26. Bangladesh has an old tradition of narrating stories with the help of a picture-scroll. itinerant picture showmen carrying a hand-painted vertical or horizontal paper scroll depicting multi-coloured illustrations of the particular legend travelled from place to place. Gathering village audiences, they told stories in prose and verse and showed the panels of the painted scroll as illustrations. The painters were skilled enough not only in drawing and painting but had devices of narrative painting in which they could tell most of the story pictorally in a small space.

27. The same painters were also adept in painting the terracotta discs devoted to Lakhi, as well as the masks of gods and demons needed for ritual and theatre.

Wood carving

28. Shallow relief carving with figurative and geometric work used in the construction of temples, household shrines and chariots, as well as architectural features of palatial houses, have been discovered in large quantity. The shallow

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relief which is so typical of the wood carving of Bangladesh has little concern for three-dimensional modelling but, on the other hand, has tremendous strength of line. These sculptures were overpainted and therefore the surface details were only cursorily treated while carving. Figures of men, women, Europeans, Hindu gods, etc. were important themes of the wood carving traditions of Bangladesh.

Stone objects

29. Stone is rare in Bangladesh and therefore its use in architecture and household items is extremely limited. However circular stone discs having deeply incized patterns with floral or geometric (sometimes figurative) work were used by housewives as ornamental moulds for making cakes. The variety of motifs provide an interesting study of the social life of rural Bangladesh.

Living tradition

30. Bangladesh is a country of great survivals. Century old traditions live side by side with modernism. Even today there are many villages inhabited by communities of craftsmen. Men, women and children - all contribute to the various stages of the given craft. Since the objects of arts and crafts form an integral part of everyday life and are in daily use, they are not treated as art objects. One of the most vital factors of socio-economic life of rural Bangladesh is the continuation of the weekly markets and traditional fairs. Hundreds of items of terracotta, basketry, wood and metal work, are brought to these markets and are regularly used by the people. Until recently the exchange of goods in these markets was by barter. A tradition of arts and crafts cannot survive unless it is an integral part of life. The weekly markets are the backbone of crafts because without a proper channel of distribution and marketing, the crafts can become only a burden on a society. Traditional heritage of skill and aesthetics, division of labour at the various stages of manufacture within the joint family, weekly markets as distribution channels, combined with the living customs of using items of arts and crafts, are the basis for the survival of ancient skills in modern Bangladesh.

II. IMPORTANCE OF A NATIONAL MUSEUM OF FOLK ARTS AND CRAFTS OF BANGLADESH

31. The importance of a museum in the everyday art of a people cannot be underestimated. At one time the so-called household art objects were sold as common items in the market places of the world. They were made for use in daily life and not as art objects to be displayed in museums. But as the forces of industrialization and modernization emerged these fine traditional handicrafts, which combined aesthetics with utility and skill, began to disappear to give place to machine made and mass produced objects. Now most of the wonderful examples of exquisite arts and crafts have started to disappear and be forgotten. That proverbially fine Dhaka muslin which was among the wonders of the world disappeared with the advent of mechanized textiles, and today we do not have even a sample of that material to show to posterity. If the old style jamdani saris or nakshi kanthas made today are inspected the difference between what was possible once and what is not possible today in spite of advanced technology is clearly demonstrated. Only a museum can save these objects and serve as a source of reference for reviving and improving craftsmanship and design. If collection is not made now, more crafts will meet the same fate as the muslin, jamdani and nakshi kantha, of which very few good examples have survived. Twenty years ago it was still possible to find dozens of objects of museum quality, but today few remain.

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32. About 80 per cent of the population of Bangladesh lives in villages, and these people use and revere in their households the objects of their own rural tradition. If such a large population has an intrinsic relationship with rural objects of their own and their ancestors' homes, obviously they are going to find that these objects relate more to themselves than to a Museum of royal and aristocratic culture. A museum which is concerned with the culture of 80 per cent of the population of a nation is by any criterion nationally important.

33. Preservation and display of artifacts in a museum impose tremendous problems. When objects of daily use are displayed in museums under artificial light and behind glass cases, their context of use is distorted. However, once we agree that a museum is the only solution for collection, preservation and documentation of the fast vanishing crafts, it must be considered as the living representation of the daily use of such traditional objects.

34. A museum of folk and tribal arts and crafts can help to rivive aesthetic taste and the quality of contemporary crafts. The collection itself can become the reference library for the craftsmen. If they are interested and consciously involved in the programmes of the museum, they can recognize the superior quality of craftsmanship, design and materials and will strive to achieve this again today. Moreover, a museum of this type can invite craftsmen to come and domonstrate the various processes of their craft. This will generate appreciation for labour intensive handicrafts in the minds of the people. How much of a person's labour, patience, collectively inherited sensibility and age-old experience is involved in making just one jamdani sari has to be seen to be believed. If these things are seen being made by the magical fingers of the craftsman, they are better appreciated and this contributes to patronage of traditional crafts.

35. Rural objects are 'sensitive' and need to be 'pampered' all the time. Like the objects, the manners and customs related to them and the whole cultural tradition are also disappearing as fast as the objects. A good collection with appropriate documentation relating to the cultural background of objects preserved in an active and conscious museum environment can be a saving grace for a country with a rich cultural heritage which also looks forward to modernization.

III. THE PRESENT MUSEUM: ITS CONCEPT, BUILDING AND SURROUNDINGS

36. The Folk Arts and Crafts Foundation of Bangladesh, which is responsible for the Folk Art Museum situated at Sonargaon, about fourteen miles southeast of Dhaka city, was established by the Government of Bangladesh, Ministry of Labour, Social Welfare, Cultural Affairs and Sports (Cultural Affairs and Sports Division) in 1975 on the initiative of the well-known painter and collector of folk arts -Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin.

37. By an Official Gazette dated Dhaka, 12 March 1975, and numbered F.7-2/75-Cul., a 20-point resolution was adopted with regard to the above Foundation. In the resolution it was stated that: 'whereas it is necessary to provide for preserving and promoting the traditional folk arts and crafts and encouragement of cottage crafts, and for that purpose the government have decided to constitute a Folk Arts and Crafts Foundation'.

38. In the same resolution the following objectives of the Foundation were enumerated :

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(a) establishment of a Folk Museum at Sonargaon;

(b) establishment of an Artisans' Village at Sonargaon;

(c) the promotion "establishment and preservation of specimen of folk arts and crafts and the undertaking and management of projects designed to encourage the traditional arts and crafts;

(d) establishment and maintenance of training centres for artisans.

39. In the above resolution it was declared that the Foundation was to be run by a Board of Trustees constituted by the Government. The Board of Trustees consisted of the following:

Chairman to be nominated by the Government

The Secretary, Cultural Affairs and Sports Division (Ex-officio)

The Chairman, Bangladesh Cottage Industries Corporation (Ex-officio)

The Principal, College of Arts and Crafts (Ex-officio);

The Director Dacca Museum (Ex-officio)

A nominee of the Ministry of Finance

Five persons interested in development of folk arts and crafts to be nominated by the Government, two of whom will be chosen from amongst the members of the Parliament.

40. In this resolution it was also stipulated that the Foundation should conduct its activities with the help of the executive director, who would also be the secretary to the board.

41. The rules and regulations governing the appointment of board members, the executive director, staff and budgetary provision and all the modalities regarding this Foundation were prescribed in the above-mentioned Gazette.

42. In conformity with the aims and objectives of this Foundation, the Folk Art Museum of Bangladesh was set up at Sonargaon. This historic town having an area of 48 miles in length and 20 miles in breadth is situated at the confluence of the rivers Meghna, Brahmaputra and Lakhya. Sonargaon is approachable by a tarred road: Dhaka-Chittagong highway using the bifurcation at Mograpada crossing. As suggested by the literary evidence and the surviving archaeological remains, Sonargaon was an old capital of Hindu and Muslim ruling houses and a flourishing centre of trade and commerce specially because of its favourable location as an inland port on the confluence of large rivers and its access to Dhaka by road. Sonargaon was also renowned for its fine muslin weaving and wooden toys as much as for its sufis, saints and poets.

43. The setting of Sonargaon because of its cultural-historical background as well as its authentic rustic landscape with ponds, rivers, fields, hamlets and regional flora, is ideal for the establishment of a folk art museum.

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44. While coining from Dhaka by the Dhaka-Chittagong highway, after passing the Mograpada crossing, the Grand Trunk Road is followed for a while and then bifurcates to take a small path to enter Sonargaon. After a few yards there is an arched gateway from where a brick paved narrow path covered with a continuous vault of closely growing trees leads to the present museum building. The zigzag path which is only about 5-6 feet wide and intermittently broken from place to place is flanked on either side by charming ponds and old settlements of villagers. This brief journey provides the visitor to the Museum an ideal transformation from a mechanized urban atmosphere to the natural rustic back­ground of the land from which the arts and crafts presented in the museum stem. However, it must be pointed out that this path should be broadened to accommodate the increasing automobile traffic to the museum.

The building

45. The entire collection of the museum and its offices are housed in a more than century old, two storied, aristocratic palatial building called Sardar Bari. The building has tall arched gateways, balconies, ornamentation in stucco work and mosaic, high ceilings and all the characteristics of a colonial aristocratic house. By itself the building may be important because it represents the life­style of an aristocratic family of Bangladesh in the Victorian era. It is certainly most unsuitable for the Folk Art Museum, not only because it is dilapidated and lets in ample dust and humidity, but also because the humble village objects which are displayed inside the building stand out in sharp contrast to the palatial characteristics of the building. The absurdity of a reconstructed village scene, complete with a farmer's hut surrounded by life-size images of the farmer's family members, standing inside a balcony having a high ceiling and a row of pillars and arches in semi-Victorian style becomes evident to any sensitive visitor.

46. The entire building consists of blocks of rooms around three open-to-sky courtyards as shown in the ground plan (Appendix 6). Rather small rooms on the ground floor of this former residential house have been converted into various display galleries, the details of which are examined in a later section. The entire groundfloor of the building is used for display, whereas the first floor of the northern-most block houses the administrative offices, storage area and library.

The surroundings

47. Just outside the building, along its western and eastern sides are water-ponds which, although adding to the beauty of the landscape are extremely harmful to the museum objects because they greatly increase the percentage of humidity especially during the monsoon.

48. The surrounding land of about 20 acres (some of it under unauthorized possession by the neighbouring villagers) also belongs to the museum and is earmarked for the future development of the proposed crafts village and mini-Bangladesh. It is also considered that the present building, which is unsuitable for museum purposes, will be reserved eventually for administrative offices and that a new building will be constructed for the museum on one of the plots of this 20 acre area belonging to the museum.

49. Because of its authentic rural character, the landscape, which is dotted by the huts of farmers surrounded by ponds and lush green vegetation, is certainly the most suitable environment for the development of a crafts village and a rural

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complex with the various types of village housing. In many countries the museums of rural arts and even the model rural settlements designed as open air museums are reconstructed amidst the modern industrialized environment where they appear as lifeless caricatures of the authentic counterparts. In Bangladesh, the authorities have wisely selected the unaffected natural rural environment of Sonargaon for the development of the Folk Art Museum and the Crafts Village.

The Crafts Village and the mini-Bangladesh

50. On the northern side of the present building, at a distance of about half a kilometer, the museum has already set up a workshop for terracotta, jamdani weaving and folk painting. A wood carver is also associated with the workshop. At the moment the craftsmen are working on a contract basis and it is understood that they feel very insecure as there is always a possibility of the contract being terminated. The director has appealed to the authorities to provide permanent appointments for the selected craftsmen. It is also envisaged that the families of the craftsmen will join them and that they will reside permanently on the premises of the museum. At present, a large rectangular structure with a gabled roof of corrugated iron sheets has been constructed for the workshop. This is the beginning of the Crafts Village.

51. Just opposite to the workshop a 'typical village hut' of Bangladesh with thatched roof and bamboo walls is reconstructed as an initial step towards the proposed mini-Bangladesh rural complex. Inside the hut the creation of the atmosphere of the interior of a village house is attempted through the reconstruction of the kitchen and fireplace, as well as the living room with the help of all the furniture and fixtures and the authentic household objects of everyday life.

52. In front of the workshop and hut there is a park with cultivated flowering plants which disturb the natural village atmosphere and lend a picnic place aspect.

53. In one corner, between the village hut and the workshop, there is a circular pavillion with cone-shaped roof. On the raised platform of this structure an old oil-press, operated by bullocks, is displayed.

54. In front of the main entrance to the museum there is a large plot of land which is used for parking the cars and buses of the museum visitors.

Plan for a new building

55. Mr.Shafiqul Ameen, the former Executive Director of Bangladesh Folk Art and Craft Foundation had done some preliminary work on the requirements of a new building for the museum and the layout of the entire complex including the Crafts Village and mini-Bangladesh. (See figure 19 for photograph of the model prepared for the purpose).

56. The salient features of this proposed building, as envisaged by the former director were described in a letter addressed to the architect. A summary of these is presented below to illustrate the plans of the authorities in relation to expansion.

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57. The aims of the museum and the village are the following:

'Through display of exhibits of folk arts and crafts in it, the museum will introduce directly the tradition of folk culture of Bangladesh.

'In Artisan village, the indigenous artisans and craftsmen from all the regions of the country will get a congenial environment training and practice for full flowering of their latent talent.

'The museum building with maximum floor space of 75,000 square feet, double storied, will accommodate reception, lobby, permanent exhibition, temporary exhibition, reserve collection, conservation section, library, auditorium with 500 seats capacity, offices, cafe and other service areas.

'The artisan village will be composed of some traditional huts, where artisans and craftsmen will work. These huts will depict typical Bangladesh village style architecture.•

58. As the above excerpts show, the needs were recognized, but the idea of a double-storied concrete building placed within a rural complex has disadvantages which are discussed in Part II of this report.

IV. THE COLLECTION

59. The museum has more than 3,500 objects of folk arts and crafts of Bangladesh. The entire collection is divided into ten categories, viz. ornaments, metal objects, embroidery, folk musical instruments, terracottas, wood carvings, objects of bamboo and cane, stone objects, miscellaneous objects and conchshell objects. Some idea of the materials, techniques, designs, contexts of use and areas of manufacture of this type of object can be had from the introduction to this report which described the heritage of folk arts and crafts of the land.

Serial No.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Tabular summary of the collection of the museum

Code No.

I

II

III

IV

V

VI

VII

VIII

IX

X

Category of Objects

Ornaments

Metal objects

Embroidery

Folk musical instruments

Earthenware/Terracotta

Wood carvings

Bamboo and cane

Stone

Miscellaneous items

Conchshell

Total

408

460

488

62

1,050

278

120

127

502

10

3,505

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60. The collection is fairly representative of samples of each category-mentioned above. Some sections like that of ornaments are too repetitive with regard to certain types of ornaments and totally unrepresentative of some regions, e.g. the ornaments of the hill tribes. The section of folk musical instruments represents highly decorated instruments. An attempt to list to all the musical instruments that exist in Bangladesh should be made and the best possible samples of each type should be acquired.

61. The terracotta section and the section of carved wooden objects have a very high quality in terms of traditional craftsmanship and thematic variety. On the other hand the section of cane and bamboo objects is very meager: materials available in common weekly markets are of superior quality and of wider variety than those presented in the museum.

62. In the textile section, the emphasis seems to be on old, traditional embroideries (nakshi kantha). There is hardly any representation of the old or new traditional muslin, jamdani, Tagail or Bhiti saris, Chakma, Mrong or Garo textiles. The terracotta section has a beautiful variety of ornamental bricks and a charming collection of cake moulds and figurative terracottas including toys and ritual objects. Earthen pots of different shapes and sizes in which the country is very rich, are missing. One small gallery is devoted to newly made miniature models of a variety of boats used in Bangladesh.

63. The section of painted scrolls, painted terracottas and masks is very poor both in terms of quantity and quality, considering the material still available.

64. As a nucleus, the present collection of the museum is exquisite. Around this a fine and comprehensive collection can be built from materials still used by the people with a systematic programme of acquisition of objects still made by craftsmen available in the market even today.

V. THE DISPLAY AND STORAGE OF THE COLLECTION

65. The museum has seven main galleries, each of which comprises several inter­connected cubicles - an arrangement which is a legacy of the original residential building. All the galleries are on the ground floor. As mentioned earlier, the building has three courtyards open to sky and around each courtyard there are a few display galleries. Since the courtyards are open to sky, the rain falls directly in the courtyards. One of the courtyards even has a rectangular reservoir of water. Since the display galleries are situated around these courtyards (sometimes separated by a verandah) there is not only a very high percentage of humidity, but even direct sprinkles of water on the display cases and open collections. On the east and west sides of the building there are water ponds which further contribute to humidity. The ceilings, the walls and the plaster are so old and cracked that there is a great deal of water-seepage in the display galleries. Humidity and water-seepage are the single most destructive factors in this building, specially when combined with the heat of the summer and monsoon months.

66. Inspite of the serious natural hazards i.e. humidity and light, the open courtyards and the surrounding verandahs are also used for display. Just recently a pavillion comprising slender poles and a tin-roof was installed in the courtyard under which a fine wooden bed was displayed.

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67. The display galleries are thematically divided and the themes in turn roughly correspond to the materials of which the objects are made.

68. The display cases are made of wood and affixed to the walls, usually with glass fronts.

69. The lighting in the galleries is a mixture of daylight and artificial light (tubes). In most cases the artificial light is at the top of the display cabinet and therefore not only the upper half of the object receives more light, but in the case of paintings or textile items the upper half fades much more than the lower half. In many display cabinets there are several shelves, one above the other, and therefore the objects displayed in the lower shelves are in dark shadow reducing the visibility of the objects.

70. In many cases the objects are nailed directly to the display furniture or the wall which is harmful to them. In the sections of carved wooden objects, several are repaired by adding to them newly made replicas of the missing portions.

71. The galleries have group captions and occasionally individual captions which are very useful to visitors.

72. One of the most striking features of display is the use of life-size clay models rendered in realistic style. These are made to look so real and attractive that the entire attention of the visitors is occupied by them, and the actual museum items displayed around them recede into the background.

73. The display technique used for textiles requires improvement. At present the textile items are mounted on mesonite board and covered with a sheet of polythene. Since there is a high percentage of humidity, the water absorbed remains clogged in the cloth for a long time and since the polythene material does not allow the circulation of fresh air, there is a growth of fungus on the textiles.

Storage

74. About four to five small rooms are allotted for the storage of the reserve collection. All textiles in storage are folded and piled on top of one another. As a result the textiles tend to break from the crease.

VI. REGISTRATION AND DOCUMENTATION

75. A scientific registration or documentation system is being undertaken by the museum. In the beginning the museum had a 'Master Register' in which all the items of collection, when purchased, were entered serially. This practice was discontinued and in its place 'Class Registers' were introduced. The 'Class Registers' are the category-wise registers of items of the collection. In this system each category such as embroidery, terracotta, etc. has a separate register in which only the items belonging to the specific category are entered. The present day registers have the following columns: registration number, name of object, measurements, design and motifs, antiquity, value, date of acquisition and place of origin.

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VII. CONSERVATION

76. The museum does not have a facility for the conservation and restoration of the objects. Moreover, the annual budget does not make any provision for conservation, which is the most crucial single factor requiring immediate attention.

VIII.LIBRARY

77. The Museum has a library of books on arts and crafts. It is recommended that the library adopt a development programme with a list of books, journals and periodicals closely related to the nature and scope of the museum collection and therefore needed urgently on priority basis.

IX. RESEARCH AND PUBLICATIONS

78. It is also recommended that the museum establish a major and relevant on-going research project directly related to the technical or socio-cultural aspects of the museum collection. A significant publication brought out by the museum is 'Bangladesher Lokashilpa' (Folk art in Bangladesh), 1983, which is an anthology of various studies.

79. In addition to the above publication the museum has issued the following pamphlets:

(i) Museum Guide, Folk Art Museum, Sonargaon. (16 p.).

(ii) Bangladesh Folk Art and Crafts Foundation. (6 p.).

(iii) Newsletter -1. Bangladesh Folk Art and Crafts Foundation. (4 p.).

X. SECURITY

80. The objects of the museum should be covered by insurance and an alarm system installed for burglary or fire as the building has many doors and windows. The glass windows have flimsy iron grills. The building is guarded by a security officer and 17 security guards. Each gallery has a gallery attendant who keeps a watch on the movements of the visitors. There are three courtyards in the building complex which are open to the sky and can be entered by climbing outer walls. The wooden objects of the collection displayed in the open verandahs can be easily stolen if a planned attempt is made by a burglar.

XI. CRAFT SHOP

81. The museum has a craft-shop on the premises which sells terracottas, basketry work, carved wooden toys, painted earthen ware, textiles, etc. The items manufactured at the museum workshop are sold there. In addition to these, the shop stocks craft items from outside craftsmen on a consignment basis. Books related to the crafts of Bangladesh are also sold there.

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PART 2

RECOMMENDATIONS ON PLANNING POLICIES AND THE STRATEGIES FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A PERMANENT FOLK ARTS AND CRAFTS MUSEUM AND MINI BANGLADESH

I. CONCEPT AND SCOPE

82. The most crucial factor in the development of a national level museum of folk arts and crafts is a clear-cut concept and proper definition of scope of the museum. The official resolution of the Ministry of Labour, Social Welfare, Cultural Affairs and Sports, dated Dhaka, 12 March 1975, only broadly defined the purpose of the museum in such phrases as: (1) 'It is necessary to provide for preserving and promoting the traditional folk arts and crafts and encouragement of cottage crafts and for that purpose... constitute a Folk Arts and Crafts Foundation'; (2) 'Set up a Folk Museum at Sonargaon'; (3) 'Set up an artisans' village at Sonargaon;' (4) 'Promote, establish, undertake and manage projects and preserve the specimen of folk arts and crafts and encourage the traditional arts and crafts'; (5) 'Establish and maintain training centres for the artisans'.

83. In a country like Bangladesh, where many ancient traditions still survive, and which is changing fast due to industrialization, a museum of arts and crafts should be established on the basis of historical and contemporary materials. However, it must be understood that in traditional societies one cannot draw a hard dividing line between old objects and the traditional contemporary objects. It must also be borne in mind that 'old' is not necessarily 'precious' and 'new' is not necessarily 'unimportant' or 'untraditional'. But in a museum, just to be able to have an outline picture of the evolution of arts and crafts from early times a distinction must be made between the old and the new.

84. The archaeological material pertaining to the traditions of folk arts and crafts of the given area may be scattered in various museums and institutions and therefore it may not be possible to obtain the objects for a new museum. But to provide a historical perspective, however small, a section of the museum must be devoted to display photographs of such objects, replicas or actual samples (if obtainable). Such an introductory action should have large maps, drawings, charts and information about the ancient origins of arts and crafts of the region.

Information through literary sources

85. Often what survives in actual evidence is meagre for the reasons of accidents of history, lack of proper excavations, or simply due to perishability of materials (basketry, wood, textiles). In such cases the historical picture of the situation should be reconstructed through the descriptions in literary sources. Such information can be presented in the historical section of the museum through reconstructed drawings and captions, as well as through the catalogues and books about the arts and crafts.

86. This is a matter for urgent attention. Due to industrialization and invasion of new products and materials, the old objects are being discarded, destroyed, sold or exported. The outgoing objects that are still available from within society form an important link between the archaeological-historical material and the traditional-contemporary one. It is this material which forms the core of the collection. The museum should first prepare a thorough list of items (category-wise), including possible sources of availability, areas of use of each type of item, budget required for fieldwork and acquisition, etc. A regular inventory of such items must be prepared and every year a fixed percentage of budget and personnel must be devoted to it.

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Contemporary arts and crafts

87. Due to limited availability of ancient objects, their prices in the antique market is higher than that of new items of arts and crafts. As a result a misconception had developed that the "antiques' are more 'precious', 'valuable' and 'worthy of place in a museum'. It must be understood and continually borne in mind while collecting for a museum of folk arts and crafts that any object that demonstrates exclusivity of design, device, beauty, skill, usage, convention, tradition, incentiveness, creativity, may deserve a place in the museum. The percentage of apparent subjectivity in the judgement of such an exclusivity will be reduced to a minimum as more and more objects are seen and the collection is done within the framework of comparative merit and exhaustive experience. Since the contemporary objects are as much products of traditional skills as the ancient objects, the sole criterion for selection is the 'merit' of the object within the above parameters and not its 'archaicness'.

Identification

88. All the traditional arts and crafts that still survive may not find a place in the museum, but in order to select the 'deserving' objects a total picture of them must be reconstructed which can then provide a feedback to the programme and policy of collection over the years.

89. A part of the curatorial section of the museum should devote itself to preparing category-wise lists of the existing crafts, their quality level (design, skill, device, exclusivity), crafts villages and individual craftsmen with comments on their merits. Preferably, the museum should work on a large map incorporating the details mentioned above. Such information will not only be a backbone for the development of the section of the contemporary (tradition based) arts and crafts, but also will be highly useful in preparing annual programmes and budgets for collections.

Representation of contemporary crafts

90. The historical items of arts and crafts are merely exclusive objects removed from their technical and cultural background. But in the matter of contemporary items of art and crafts we have their intact procedures of techniques and the cultural contexts of use. In the development of programmes of this section of the museum, not only the best items should be procured from the previously identified lists of items, but also the basic tools, equipments, raw materials and the stages of manufacture by means of actual materials, information and photo­graphs should be represented. To supplement the static display of craft items and items related to manufacture, the museum should have demonstrations of craft procedures by different craftsmen. Audio-visual documentation of such crafts can be even more authentic and useful.

91. Since most of the arts and crafts objects were a part of everyday life of a people, they were rooted in certain complex usage and their own cultural back­ground. It is very important that from the beginning the museum keeps in mind that the documentation and demonstration of the context of use of each object is as important as the object itself. No object of this class was conceived as an object of art, but was primarily created as an object of use in everyday life . By means of photographs of context of use and by reconstructing village houses with a display of all the items of daily use, much light can be thrown on the cultural background of these objects.

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92. The above factors related to the concept and the scope of development of the museum should determine the site, the building, the collection, the budget and the nature of personnel, etc.

II. THE SITE, THE BUILDING, THE LAYOUT OF 'MINI-BANGLADESH' AND THE 'CRAFTS VILLAGE'

93. The two main criteria to be borne in mind while choosing the site for a museum of folk arts and crafts and an open-air rural complex are easy accessibility by the target audience and the availability of a large piece of land with an authentic landscape for the rural complex. The site of the proposed museum of folk arts and crafts at Sonargaon is ideal from the viewpoint of both these criteria, and it is highly recommended that the museum is not shifted from there to an urban centre like Dhaka.

94. The factor of availability of 25 to 50 acres of land for a museum of this kind in natural and authentic surroundings is by itself so important that a comparatively smaller piece of land amidst the city of Dhaka, or any other modern town, surrounded by modern concrete buildings can never compete with the former in terms of merit. The site at Sonargaon has the following advantages:

(a) availability of a large plot of land;

(b) landscape with ponds, fields and local flora;

(c) absence of high-rise concrete urban buildings;

(d) remnants of a flourishing historic town in the vicinity;

(e) a village-like settlement of craftsmen and farmers in the area;

(f) surrounded by villages having a living tradition of weekly markets selling craft items;

(g) direct road-link from Dhaka and Chittagong;

(h) scenic beauty attractive to visitors.

(a) The foresightedness of the authorities in choosing the present site at Sonargaon for the museum must be commended. A large plot, such as this, is essential to accommodate a proper museum building, several selected housing types of rural Bangladesh, spaces for craft demonstrations, space for settling craftsmen, a larger crafts shop, boats and fishing apparatus, parking area, etc.

(b) For an open-air rural complex of housing types of traditional villages, it is essential to have an authentic landscape and the possibility to create natural barriers between two different types of settlements. If a rural complex of the type envisaged were to be created in a larger town, the expense of recreating the landscape would be extremely high and still it would lack authenticity. In Sonargaon there is the possibility of merging the reconstructed museum settlements of rural houses with the existing rural atmosphere without spending much on landscaping.

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(c) The absence of a skyline dotted with concrete buildings, as is the case with Sonargaon, is by itself an important factor for visual authenticity. There are many examples of fine rural complexes set up as parts of rural arts and crafts museums which have acquired the character of highly contrived reconstructions because of continuous glimpses of urban buildings in the background.

(d) Sonargaon was a flourishing centre of trade and a seat of crafts like jamdani textiles and painted woodwork. Even today a street having beautiful old aristocratic houses exists just half a kilometre away from the site of the museum. Many visitors to the museum will find it interesting to pay a visit to the remnants of the past glory of Sonargaon. In one sense the town of Sonargaon becomes a continuation, in time and space, of the museum and vice-versa.

(e) The present rural settlements in the area can be natural and lively components of the museum in a broader sense. Since the museum plans to involve craftsmen and their families, the present village settlements of farmers, craftsmen and shopkeepers will provide them with a friendly social atmosphere. Often rural craftsmen feel lost and out of place in large urban centres and appear like living museum objects or items of display because of the sharp contrast of their rural character and the urban gloss of the town where the museum is situated.

(f) Within 30 kilometres of Sonargaon, there are many village settlements regularly holding their traditional weekly markets. In such markets a variety of craft items such as basketry, mats, pots and terracottas, items of wood, textiles, etc. are brought for sale. Even on the way to Sonargaon from Dhaka, there is a small bazaar selling such objects. The coexistence of the craft bazaars and the museum makes the site of Sonargaon particularly appropriate.

(g) Sonargaon is directly connected with Dhaka by a grand trunk road and is easily accessible to visitors. Since it is planned to have a large museum with a widely spread out rural complex in beautiful scenic surroundings, at least half a day would be needed for the museum visit. Those who visit the museum will have to keep the day free for it and in that case will not mind undertaking a journey of 30 to 45 minutes to Sonargaon.

95. As far as the site is concerned, it is suggested that the present location of the museum at Sonargaon is ideal for the purpose.

The building

96. The present building, described in detail in Part I of this report, is unsuitable for the museum by all standards. The collection of the museum should be displayed in two different contexts which can be broadly categorized as follows:

(a) stray objects of archaeological and historical value including the tradition-based contemporary objects, which need to be protected from the hazards of nature and man, require a proper concrete building;

(b) the objects that are a part of everyday life in the contemporary villages of Bangladesh and belong to those households selected for reconstruction in the museum's rural complex can be displayed in the reconstructed huts.

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97. The museum must have a proper concrete building for (a). The consultant has seen the drawings and models prepared for such a building to be constructed at Sonargaon, and suggests that it is an unsuitable design for the" purpose and should be changed. The proposed design with its imposing structure and mixed western characteristics would look conspicious and out of place in the rustic atmosphere, and the very purpose of selecting the rural site of Sonargaon would be lost by its presence there.

'Invisible' building

98. It is recommended that an 'invisible1 building be designed for the purpose. By invisible it is meant that the building should be low and spread out horizontally. Its visual presence should hardly be felt. It should have simple and basic contours and its outer surface should be of muted tones of the materials themselves. As far as possible it should be concealed with trees and creepers so that altogether very little of it is seen from outside. The advantage of this type of building would be that it would not appear as a modern building in strong contrast to the rural huts which it is planned to build on the same plot.

99. The building should have solid and thick cement and brick walls so that no problem of water and humidity seepage would arise. Thick walls would also keep out the summer heat. The building should be planned in such a way that any future horizontal expansion, if needed, becomes possible. To start with, the building should have about 75,000 square feet to accommodate the reception, lobby, permanent display, temporary exhibitions, storage collection, conservation department, library, auditorium, offices, canteen, etc.

100. In addition to the above-mentioned building, it is suggested that a number of rural houses typical of traditional Bangladesh be reconstructed on the plot. In doing so maximum attention should be paid to authenticity of design, dimensions and materials. Moreover it should be kept in mind that no two different houses belonging to two different environments should stand side by side within the visibility range from a given point. This is important because in reality each housing type stands in its own natural environment and that the housing type of extreme north and that of extreme south can never be seen standing side by side. Around each housing type an artificial barrier of trees, mounds or a pond should be created so that one housing type or cluster is separated naturally from the other. Around each type of house or cluster the flora of that particular region should also be planted.

101. The authorities must calculate the cost of maintaining a staff to look after these houses and clusters throughout the year on a permanent basis. Storage must be provided for the stocks of joinery, etc. obtained from the concerned regions.

102. The selected houses and clusters built on the premises of the museum will serve as most authentic 'galleries' for display of rural objects in their own cultural context. It must be realized that each area, each ethnic group, has its own peculiar objects and cannot be intermixed just because they are all rural. A mistake of this nature has been made in the present single hut that is reconstructed in the museum. Inside the hut, there is an assemblage of articles from all over Bangladesh. If this practice is continued then the interiors of all the huts, when constructed, will look alike and the entire authenticity and the educational value will be totally lost.

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'The Crafts Village'

103. At present the museum has a few craftsmen who are on the temporary payroll of the museum and who live on the campus. The museum would like the Government to convert these temporary posts into permanent ones. The museum also has a huge tin-shed designed and constructed as workshop for the craftsmen in residence. Before the scheme of permanent residence of selected craftsmen is employed it should be thoroughly reconsidered since the human element is involved. If a craftsmen and his family are uprooted from their original cultural background and replanted in the atmosphere for permanent crafts demonstrations, it may cause harm to the environment of the craftsman's life. Moreover it might be better for the-museum not to have a limited number of craftsmen and crafts demonstrations on a permanent basis. It is recommended that the various craftsmen are invited to the museum for craft demonstrations from time to time and for a limited period of time. By this policy, the museum will not take the moral responsibility of uprooting craftsmen from their natural surroundings and will obtain the services of many more craftsmen. This policy will also provide variety to the programme of crafts' demonstration.

III. COLLECTION OF OBJECTS FOR THE MUSEUM AND THE SELECTION OF HOUSING TYPES FOR THE 'MINI-BANGLADESH' RURAL COMPLEX

104. Since the collection forms the backbone of the museum, important cultural areas, ethnic groups, craft items, etc. should be identified by means of investigation missions. With the help of the information and photographs gathered through such missions a map of arts and crafts of Bangladesh should be prepared. At that level an assessment should be made of items the museum already has and in which sections immediate additions are required. Once such an assessment is accomplished, a rough estimate of costs should be prepared for the acquisition of the lacking items. At this level the question of accommodating the acquisitions in the annual budget should be planned. This type of planning will give not only a systematic and acquisition programme within time limits to the museum, but will help also in building a truly national museum of the folk arts and crafts of the country. The trips conducted for acquisition will provide first-hand background information for documentation, correct identification and research.

105. There are scores of housing types in rural Bangladesh and all cannot be presented in the museum. In the course of travel for acquisition, the museum should prepare an elementary survey of prominent rural housing types. Each geographic region and each closed ethnic group will have a typical housing type with regard to design and materials. Once such types are identified (without excluding or duplicating any important type) a list could be prepared. The research team should then identify the most typical examples within each type and prepare its architectural drawings and a full-fledged photographic documenta­tion of each and every physical detail of the structure - its materials, methods of construction, layout, interior, exterior, its surrounding, its position and set of relationships within the cluster, the habits and work style of the inhabitants, etc. After this, in each financial year, a house or two (depending upon the finances available) should be constructed in the museum, preferably with the help of the very people who usually construct them in the respective area. Before building a single structure, a whole layout of the rural complex should be made on paper in relation to the land available for the rural complex of mini-Bangladesh. Around each house or cluster a landscape suitable to the region concerned (where the structure originally exists) should be developed.

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106. In the open and semi-open spaces around the structures and in the interiors of the houses all those items should be displayed which are a part of life in the particular house in its natural surroundings. The manner of display should as far as possible be identical with the natural houses. By doing so the particular fine objects are shown, but people are informed on the real context and manner of use of these objects.

107. The field-research undertaken for gathering the objects and identifying the typical housing type will also be useful for the display, captions, and documenta­tion, and providing the information for guidebooks and research publications.

IV. CONSERVATION

108. One of the basic functions of a museum is to preserve and protect each and every object that becomes a part of its inventory. The objects of folk arts and crafts which were a part of the everyday life of rural Bangladesh were made of a variety of materials including textiles, paper mâché, paper, cane and bamboo, wood, terracotta, etc. Some of these had painted surfaces. Since originally the objects were made for daily use and to be discarded when worn out, the function of their permanent display was not incorporated in their making.

109. The task that a museum faces in permanent preservation and protection of such objects is of great magnitude. The expense, the trained personnel and the equipment needed for modern scientific conservation is not so easily obtainable. It is suggested that the museum opts for a thoroughly scientific modern conserva­tion department as an ultimate aim. The following four-point programmes could be adopted with immediate effect:

(i) creation of awareness about the 'sanctity' of museum objects and their careful handling;

(ii) adoption of preventive methods of conservation;

(iii) use of simple equipment that can be handled even by non-technical personnel;

(iv) establishment of a modern scientific conservation department with proper equipment and trained personnel.

Points (i) and (ii)

110. No scientific laboratory, personnel or equipment can do the ultimate task of conservation and protection of museum objects without a scientific, protective and 'warm' concern on the part of the general museum personnel. No new museum can afford, overnight, a full-fledged conservation department and therefore the life of the museum objects rests mainly in the hands of the general museum personnel who can extend it to a great degree simply by careful handling, thoughtful stacking, storing and display. Damp, dark and congested storage; putting items infested with moths and fungus in the bright sunlight (as is done in the museum at present) , stacking objects in a pile, folding old textile's into small bundles, using iron push-pins and nails for display, allowing direct natural or artificial light to fall on the displayed items, etc. are examples of careless handling. Simply giving up these methods already means a beginning of cultivated awareness and preventive methods of conservation.. This cultivation of correct

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attitudes does not need technical training and can be inculcated in the staff through inviting conservation specialists from time to time to come and give talks with demonstrations. Without a cultivated sympathetic attitude towards the objects no amount of "laboratory conservation' can help. It is highly recommended that the entire museum personnel is given a course of five to six demonstration lectures by a conservation authority, preferably from a tropical country, on the matters of routine handling and preventive methods of conservation.

Point (iii)

111. There are many simple and comparatively risk-free devices which can be introduced to museum personnel and can be safely used until such time as the museum has a full-fledged conservation department. The introduction to these devices has to be done by a specialist and should be supervised by him from time to time. Examples of simple equipment handled by non-technical persons include the use of equipment for measuring humidity and temperature, light measuring meters, making individual containers for storage of items, placing filters on florescent lighting, using certain types of fumigation cabinets against fungus and moths, using acid free paper and cloth as mounting materials for pictures, etc. Most of these devices can be learnt and used by any of the museum staff with almost immediate effect if a technically trained conservation specialist initiates a programme and supervises it from time to time.

Point (iv)

112. The ultimate aim of the museum should be to develop a full-fledged conserva­tion department with modern equipment and fully trained staff. Laboratory conservation is rooted in several natural sciences and therefore the persons to be trained for the purpose must have a scientific background or training. The present museum staff does not have this kind of background and while some may be trained in the matters mentioned in points (i) , (ii) , (iii) , for point (iv) , new staff must be recruited under the guidance of a conservation expert.

113. In the matter of conservation it is recommended that the museum opts for a two-fold approach as follows : '

(a) starting with immediate effect with the items mentioned in points (i)-(iii) under guidance from an outside conservation expert;

(b) beginning work on establishment of a proper conservation department and laboratory by inviting an expert to prepare a chart of recommendations.

V. DISPLAY AND STORAGE

114. The broad principles to be followed in the matters of display and storage can be summarized as follows:

115. All mounting of objects for display should be done in consultation with the conservation expert. Before planning the lighting of the galleries, the objects that are sensitive to heavy lighting and those which are not should be segregated.

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116. The items of rural arts and crafts consist, for the main part, of the objects of daily household use. It is recommended that when possible, the photographs showing the particular object in actual use should be displayed in the galleries to bring into focus the real functional aspects. The museum, at the moment, has highly realistic, brightly painted and jarring models of clay demonstrating the manner of use of certain objects. This method of display should be given up because the attention of most viewers is focussed on the model rather than the actual museum object for which the model is only a prop.

117. Three-dimensional objects, are to be viewed from all sides and their display should be planned in such a way that each object gets the maximum viewing. Museum display and the design of display furniture and fixtures is a specialized subject and a specialist should be consulted from time to time.

118. A museum is considered to be the treasure house of important cultural data of a society or a certain category of objects. It may not be possible (or desirable) to display the entire collection possessed by a museum. Every museum has to keep its extra collection in its storage. The word 'storage' evokes the feeling of a cluttered and dingy godown - unfortunately that is what it has usually been. The storage collection is not of inferior quality or of lesser cultural importance. What is on display might go into storage and vice-versa. All the items of the museum collection theoretically bear the same merit. If this is true, the storage area is as important as the display galleries. Each item stored should be properly numbered and classified into sections. The items should be stacked in storage in such a way that each of them can be seen or be removed or replaced without disturbing the others. For this type of modern museum storage the phrase 'visual-storage' has been aptly coined. Nowadays the storage items are used as research material by many members of the museum staff or outside scholars, and therefore visual-storage has become a necessity.

VI. RESEARCH AND DOCUMENTATION

119. In Section III: 'Collection of objects and selection of housing types for mini-Bangladesh' it was pointed out that the field tours for the purpose can be organized in such a way that the background material (information, photography) can be simultaneously collected and that such material can be utilized for research and documentation. However it must be understood that such information only partially contributes to museum documentation and that by itself it is a full-fledged discipline.

120. The museum must resume its original system of 'master register' with chronological entries serially listing all acquisitions. In addition to this, the present system of registers may be continued. The column-titles, the columns and the page numbers must be printed and not handwritten because a museum register is a bound record of its acquisition and inventory which must be fool­proof and should reveal immediately if any tampering with its integrity is attempted. In either of the above-mentioned types of registers a small photograph (contact print of 35 mm negative) of the particular object must be pasted. If ever any item is lost, destroyed or written off, its entry must not be obliterated from the register, but a necessary comment should be entered.

121. The inventory numbers of the objects of the collection are at present affixed to the items by means of a flimsy paper label tied with a string. As is normal,

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most of these fall off and identification of the particular objects thus becomes very difficult. The inventory number must be inscribed directly on the object. The inscription should not make any permanent incision in the body of the object, but should be written with waterproof ink covered with a layer of varnish on the least visible part of the object. On textile items-, cloth labels should be stitched separately on the back.

Inventory-documentation cards

122. The details of ethnographic background and the technical procedures employed are a very important part of documentation in a folk arts and crafts museum rather than in a museum of art in the western sense. The inventory-documentation card of such a museum should have three aspects, i.e. (1) acquisition details, (2) physical description of the object, (3) cultural background of the concerned object and research information (See Appendix 4).

123. In view of the collection of the museum of folk arts and crafts of Bangladesh, a sample card has been prepared by the author of this report which is being presented here with a strong recommendation that work on this starts as early as possible. During the period of the mission, the consultant, on request from the museum authorities, demonstrated to the documentation staff the method of completing such cards. Six such cards were made ready - complete with full information and a photograph of the particular object. The cards of the type shown in the sample should be printed. It must be borne in mind that it may not be possible to fill up each and every column at once. The columns of the inventory number, the acquisition details and those of the physical description can be filled up in the beginning, whereas those pertaining to the area and date of origin of the object or the cultural background can be filled in at a later stage when more information is available. It may happen that in the course of time more and more data (sometimes contradictory) is available. More information (with details about the information) can be added on an extra card bearing the number of the previous card.

124. If the museum desires to prepare catalogues on specific sections, the cards related to those sections can be completed on a priority basis by exclusive research and survey projects related to these objects. The information thus gathered on the documentation cards can be edited and published as special catalogues of the museum.

Documentation photography

125. At present the museum does not have any photographic inventory record. It is highly recommended that the person in charge of the documentation section or one of the assistants handles the documentation photography, or that there is a regular full-time photographer attached to the museum. It must be remembered that the purpose of photography is to document the object. The angle and contrast should be such that the best possible characteristics of the object are brought out. In the event of theft or destruction, the photograph should be able to speak for the object.

126. While taking the photograph a strip of cardboard bearing the respective number might be placed near the object so that later on when the film is developed and prints made, there is no need to search for the number while pasting the photograph on the card.

127. The documentation photography should be done on 35 mm black and white film. The negatives of each roll should be kept in a folder and there should be a contact

- 24 -

sheet for each roll. These should be appropriately numbered. These numbers could be used as negative numbers to be specified on the documentation cards.

128. The cards can be arranged either in serial order or category-wise depending upon the requirement. Once the cards of individual objects, as per the sample, are made, the museum can attempt to prepare group cards for identification of specific sub-categories. For example, in the terracotta section there might be 200 mixed cards of a variety of terracotta items such as the figures of mother and child, elephants, horses, etc. For convenience, all the numbers of the cards pertaining to the terracottas of mother and child can be copied on one card with the title: 'Terracotta: mother and child'. Thus, from one card

an index to the whole sub-category is obtained. To facilitate reference the cards should be stored vertically in a filing cabinet.

129. For the purpose of research, it would be useful to make prints of all the photographs of the cultural background taken during the field tour and paste each one on a plain card with the relevant details of location, ethnic group, manners and customs related to the item of craft or art concerned. Such material would be very useful for the preparation of group captions for the display galleries and the research publications related to the collection.

VII. ADMINISTRATION AND STAFF

130. The museum, as it is today, lacks formally qualified staff. Since no member of the staff is a specialist of a particular museum job, all of them are engaged in general administration. The members of the museum staff urgently need allotment of duties and specialization in a particular branch. A separate note on the training of the personnel is given in the following paragraphs.

131. The budget provided by the Government is fairly reasonable for the present situation and programmes, but the priorities need to be identified somewhat differently. For acquisition of new collections, for documentation and photo­graphy and the field survey, a much larger amount of money should be allocated.

VIII. TRAINING PROGRAMME FOR THE MUSEUM PERSONNEL

132. The most urgent requirement of a training programme should concern the following:

(a) the curator;

(b) the documentation-records officers;

(c) display officer

(d) the conservation staff.

133. For such a large museum as the present one there should be two directors, i.e. an administrative director and a curatorial director.

(a) The curator

134. The curatorial director should have an academic background in humanities such as history, sociology, anthropology, art-history, etc. He should possess

- 25 -

either a formal degree or diploma in museology or should have training in one of the museum specializations - conservation, documentation, display, etc. Moreover, five years' experience in museum work is essential. A two-year training period abroad is desirable.

135. The curatorial director having obtained practical training for two years in a museum abroad should be able to train his sectional curators in their work.

(b) The documentation records officers

136. The documentation and registration of the museum objects is its backbone. The documentation and registration officer should learn documentary photography and go through the various systems of documentation and documentation stationery.

(c) Display officer

137. The exhibition or display officer should not only work in the installation workshops of two museums, but should observe and photograph gallery displays and study the techniques of museum installation and mounting.

(d) The conservation staff

138. Conservation is a highly specialized department and all the trained staff needed for the purpose should be specially recruited. If a trained person is not available, then a person having an M.Sc. degree in chemistry should be specially trained in museology for about three years. The training should take place in a country like India where the problems of conservation of ethnic objects in a tropical climate are well understood and where a fine institution like the National Research Laboratory for Conservation of Cultural Property has a variety of training programmes. It is crucial that the training of the conservation personnel is done at a centre which is experienced in handling the problems of tropical conservation.

139. Until such a person is trained, the museum should hold from time to time general workshops and lecture demonstrations on matters of museum conservation for the benefit of the entire staff. For this type of programme it would be profitable also to contact the National Research Laboratory for Conservation of Cultural Property, Lucknow, India. This programme would be designed principally to generate awareness about handling the collection and to teach preventive and simple methods of conservation.

140. The remaining staff of assistants, clerical personnel, librarians, etc. should be oriented to the museum discipline by the trained staff.

IX. APPROXIMATE COSTS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RECOMMENDED PROGRAMME

141. The costs shown in the attached table (Appendix 3) are only approximate and are based on general inquiry with the appropriate professionals in each field. The expenditure of the recommended programme is in addition to the usual annual expenditure incurred by the museum. Explanatory notes on each item included in the table of costs of implementation have been given on the page following the chart. These notes also throw light on the general breakdown of the figures. All costs are given in Bangladesh Takkas except those for the training programme for the museum personnel, which are given in US Dollars.

- 26 -

142. The table gives approximate figures for four years. The period of four years has been selected because by the end of this period all the long-term programmes envisaged such as the building, the development of collections, the staff training programme, etc., will be complete.

- 27 -

APPENDIX 1

LIST OF THE CRAFTS VILLAGES

(al Pottery

Upazilla Zilla

SI. No.

Name of the Villages Police Station District

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

25.

26.

27.

28.

29.

30.

Kakran

Hajipur

Pathalia

Kagojia para

Bejirtek

Tekpara

Sayedpur

Harigram

Talepur

Baira

Baldara

Mijkehar

Bijoypur

Gourpur

Nayakandi

Bayga mari

Kumarpatan

Panchgaon

Tengara bazar

Darmaghar

Nekmarad

Hosaingaon

Lchemba

Bachore

Ragunathpur

Habta

Manmanpur

Kaligonj

S ubatnakamar

Palpara

Dhamrai Dhaka

Singair, Manikgonj

Shahabasti

Comilla

Sadarpur

Gopalgonj

Raynagar H

Tagoregaon

Parabatipur

Dhaka

Comilla

Faridpur

Sylhet

Dinajpur

Dinajpur

Nandial Mymensingh

- 28 -

Upazilla Zilla

SI.

No. Name of the Villages Police Station District

31. Chandipasha

32. Nandail bazar

33. Nandail

34. Nazirpur

35. Parbatipur

36. Afra Manila Sangstha

37. Krishnapur

38. Dkarpur

39. Goshkanta

40. Durgapur

41. Mirahamadpur

42. Kutubpur

43. Rasulpur

44. Eklashpur

45. Anantapur

46. Gongrampur

47. Kothalbari

48. Sarsurasakta para

49. Hajrahat Harishpur (Bayra)

50. Pourasava Elalca

51. Hararam (Kasanatam)

52. Kumrapara

53. Dalagram

54. Humdhim

55. Shahurpara

56. Morasang para

57. Maddampara

58. Durihaoman para

59. Salammasa para

60. Meharpur

61. Saharhat

62. Hizalgaria

Nandial

Patmitala

Patnitala

Baguara

No. 14, Rajgonj

No. 16, Kadirpur

No. 6, Natteyshor

Begumgonj

No. 23, Rasulpur

Begumgonj

ii

Jessore

Sayedpur, Nilfamari

Lalmonirhat

Paikathchari

Amtail Gangni

Mymensingh

Rajshahi

Noakhali

Jessore

Rangpur

Rangpur

M

M

Bandarban

Kustia

- 29 -

(b) Wood carvings

SI. No.

Name of the Village UPA Zilla District

1

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

25.

26.

27.

28.

29.

30.

31.

Chatti

Barahita

Dhamdi

Ishowargonj bazar

Atarbarikatey nagar

Achar gaon

Dharagaon

Singrail

Bashati

Pangail

Pourasava Elaka

Sahapur

Lahapara

Munshirail bazar

Dattapara

Joynagar

Manick nagar

Daramaghar

Nekmared

Hosaingaon

Lchimba

Kachore

Rezakpur

Modhupur

Mirjanagar

Mirwarispur

Chaumunibazar

Nazirpur

Debila

Singra

Thaipara

Iswargonj

Sadar uttar

Mymansingh

Nandail

Sayedpur, Nilphamari

Aminpur, Sonargaon

Aminpur, Sonargaon

Ishowardi

Tagoregaon

Begumgonj

Patnitala

Salika

Rangpur

Dhaka

Dhaka

Pabna

Dinajpur

Noakhali

Rajshahi

Jessore

- 30 -

SI. No.

Name of the Village UPA Zilla District

32.

33.

34.

35.

36.

37.

38.

39.

Sreedaltala

Dhapeshowar pati

Satakhalipachka

Meharpur

Saharhat

Hizalgaria

Gangni

Bangacha

Salika

Gangni

Jessore

Kustia

- 31 -

(c) Copper, brass, bell-brass and iron

SI. No.

1

Name of the Villages

2

Police Station

3

District

4

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

25.

26.

27.

28.

29.

30.

Dhamrai bazar

Singair bazar

Harna

Uchathila bazar

Char para

Balbola bazar

Raibazar

Ishowargonj

Hariakhali

Mainy hati

Dattagram

Nandail bazar

Singrail

Basati

Pangail

Garua

Madhbaria

Tushkhali

Shafa

Mirkhali

Baramasura

Natunhat

Sonakhali

Shapleza

Tearkhali

Dadhi Bhanga

Bhandap para

Maniknagar

Char mir kamari

Dasuria

Dhamrai bazar

Manikgonj

Ishowargonj

Nandail

Madhbaria

Pirozpur

Pirozpur

Ishowardi

Dhaka

Mymansingh

Barisal

Pabna

- 32 -

SI. No.

1

Name of the Villages

2

Police Station

3

District

4

31.

32.

33.

34.

35.

36.

37.

38.

39.

40.

41.

42.

43.

44.

45.

46.

47.

48.

49.

50.

51.

52.

53.

54.

55.

56.

57.

Dharuaghar

Nekmarad

Hosaingaon

Lchemba

Rachore

Panchgaon

Krishnapur

Kazirhat

Dharapur

Mirwarishpur

Karamakarohat

Amtola

Sola

Maorabaria

Manikbishi

Bhola Bhanga

Saharghat

Hijalharia

Gangni

Bangacha

Batiaghata

Surkhali

Bhandharkot

Baliabhanga

Amir pur

Pourasava Elaka

Dhakhin Mirshrat madavi

Tagoregaon ii

H

H

•i

Monlavibazar

Begumgonj

H

H

•i

H

Gangni

M

H

H

H

H

M

H

H

Khulna Sadar H

H

H

H

Nilphamari

Lalmonirhat

Dinazpur

Sylhet

Noakhali

Kustia

Khulna

Rangpur

- 33 -

(d) Embroidery

SI. No.

Name of the Villages Police Station District

1

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

25.

26.

27.

28.

29.

30.

Telebpur

Baladhara

Charigram

Bairagram

Maddha para

Khepupara bandar

Mithipara

Kuakata

Amkholapara

Pakhiapara

Tushikhali

Nilabad

Joynagar

Hosaingaon

Gauripur

Barisattal

Kutubpur

Bhabanadi

Hirapur

Mahatabpur

Nagarpara

Chanmuhani

Kismatbarimpur

Gongarampur

Salikha

Sathakhali

Megpara

Khattampara

Solauka

Monikdidi

Singair, Manikgonj

Brahmanbari a

Kalapara

Madhbaria

H

Ishowardi

Tagiregaon

Gianripur

Begumgonj

Salika H

it

Laikhangchari H

Gangni

Dhaka

Comilla

Patuakhali

Barisal

H

Pabna

Dinajpur

Mymansingh

Noakhali

Jessore

Bandharban

Kustia

- 34 -

SI. No.

1

Name of the Villages

2

Police Station

3

District

4

31.

32.

33.

34.

35.

36.

Hija baria

Gangni

Baugacha

Surkhali

Batiaghata

Ponrasava elaka

Gangni

Khulna

Nilphamari

Kustia

Khulna

Rangpur

- 35 -

(e) Folk ornaments

(Gold, Silver, Conch-Shell, Bone and Beaded)

SI. No.

1

Name of the Villages

2

Police Station

3

District

4

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

25.

26.

27.

28.

Ishowar gonj

Ray bazar

Suhagi

Madu pur

Usa khala

Nandail bazar

Jahaingir pur

Manik nagar

Dasuria

Nak Marad

Hossaingonj

Bachor

Kutub pru

Danna pur

Betua para

Lakkhan pur

Bawor cast

Chowmuhni Fari

Nazir pur

Gonga rampur

Shalikha

Sata khali

Shahar Hat

Hijal Baria

Gungni

Galsha

Batea ghata

Municipal Area

Ishowar gonj

Nandail

•i

Salim pur, Ishowardi

Dasuria, "

Thakur gaon

Begumgonj

Patni tala

Shalikha

Maherpur, Gangni

Khulna

Syedpur, Nilphamari

Mymansingh

Pabna

Dinajpur

Noakhali

Rajshahi

Jessore

Kustia

Khulna

Rangpur

- 36 -

(f) Bamboo, cane and pith works

Si. No.

Name of the Villages Police Station District

1

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

25.

26.

27.

28.

29.

30.

31.

32.

Singair

Bayra

Baladhara

Bagmusha

Goaldi

Hamshadi

Ambagh

Belabo

Char Hosain Nahea Para

Shemrail

Uchakhila

Laxmipur

Islampur

Sohagi

Modhupur

Kakchar

Mushatali

Banuapara

Debatra

Shakhari Kathi

Chailta

Bunia

Bara Masna

Sona Khali

Khazpur baria

Nal Bunia

Shinga

Dani Shafa

Ganra Char

Jay nagar

Manik Nagar

Char Mir Kamari

Manikgonj it

H

Aminpur, Sonargaon H

Baidyer Bazar

n

Araihazar

Ishowargonj

H

H

ii

H

H

H

Nandail H

H

Mot Baria H

H

ti

H

•i

M

H

II

11

Sadar pur

Ishowardi

H

ii

Dhaka

Mymansingh

Mymansingh

Barishal

Faridpur

Pabna

- 37 -

SI. No.

Name of the Villages Police Station District

1

33.

34.

35.

36.

37.

38.

39.

40.

41.

42.

43.

44.

45.

46.

47.

48.

49.

50.

51.

52.

53.

54.

55.

56.

57.

58.

59.

60.

61.

62.

63.

64.

65.

66.

67.

Monsidpur

Dattarail

Changhari

Amtali

Darmaghar

Nasakmarad

Hosaingoan

Lechemba

Bachore

Bijoy Nagar

Chandrapur

Bajra bazar

Ghoshkanta

Durgapur

Latifpur

Rafikpur

Rezakpur

Modhupur

Mirja Nagar

Ulachar

Chadkasempur

Sharifpur

Khanpur

Mirwarispur

Lalpur

Laxman pur

Kalikapur

Bitranpur

Khaleshpur

Goajpur

Nayanpur

Talibpur

Gandhi Asram

Panrasava Elaka

Hare-Ram

Ishowardi

Gopalgonj M

Amtali

Tagoregaon

Begumgonj, Sadar

Begumgonj

Nilphamari

Kaligonj, Lalmonirhat

Pabna

Sylhet

it

Patuakhali

Dinajpur

Noakhali

Noakhali

Rangpur

- 38 -

SI. No. -

1

Name of the Villages

2

Police Station

3

District

4

68.

69.

70.

71.

72.

73.

74.

75.

76.

77.

78.

79.

80.

81.

82.

83.

84.

85.

86.

87.

88.

89.

90.

91.

92.

93.

94.

95.

96.

97.

Kakina

Gonga Rampur

Bunagati

Salikha

Daneshwargati

Satakhali

Saturpara

Morashang para

Salamiapara

Baisaripara

Daban Khalipara

Haomap para

Daiyer baper para

Sadu and Raoza para

Tailong para

Moiong Roaja para

Solataka

Bholagacha

Changpair

Saharhat

Jijaibaria

Gangni

Baugachà

Jalsau. p.

Batiaghata

Gobga Rampur

Surkhali

Bhandarkot

Balia danqur

Aminpur

Kaligonj, Lalmonirhat

Salikha

Salikha

Paikhangshari

Maherpur, Gangni

Khulna Sarar

Rangpur

Jessore

Bandarban

Kustia

Khulna

- 39 -

(g) Mats

SI. No.

Name of the Villages Police Station District

1

1. Niagul

2. Chow Gari

3. Abdullah pur

4. Jogi bari

5. Bunagati, Kufatpur

6. Sysuna/Kathal baria

7. Bag Banga

8. Shahar Hat

9. Hizal Baria

10. Ghangni

11. Bow gacha

12. Talsha

13. Batia ghata

14. Ganga Ram pur

15. Surkhali

16. Vandar cort

17. Balia Danga

18. Amir pur

19. Municipal area

Gopal gonj

Raj Nager, M. bazar

Patnitala

Shalikha M

Sata Khali/Salikha

Mäher pur

Khulna Sadar

Sylhet

Raj shahi

Jessore

Kustaia

Khulna

Syedpur/Nilphamari Rangpur

- 40 -

(h) Musical instruments

SI. No.

1

Name of the Villages

2

Police Station

3

District

4

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Braman Baria

Tengra bazar

Kal bari

Chowmuhani

Hazra Hati

Shal Taka

Shahar Hat

Hizal Baria

Bowe Ghacha

Municipal Area

Brahman baria

M. Bazar

Begumgonj ii

Shalikha

Meherpur

Comilla

Sylhet

Noakhali

Jessore

Kustia

Syed pur Rangpur

- 41 -

(i) Masks

SI. No.

1

Name of the Villages

2

Police Station

3

District

4

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

Shavar

Nutan bazar

Chak shib ram pur

Sata para

Galsha

Gangga Rampur

Batia Ghata

Sur Khali

Bandar Cort

Balia Danga

Amir pur

Hara Ram

Nandail if

Patni tala

Salikha

Batia Ghata, Khulna

Mymansingh

H

Rajshahi

Jessore

Khulna

Lai Manir Hat Rangpur

- 42 -

(j) Paintings

„ * Name of the Villages Police Station District No.

1 2 3 4

1. Darma gar Rani Shangkail Dinajpur Thakurgoan

2. Pach gaon Raj nagar, M. bazar Sylhet

3. Abdullah pur "

4. Bazra bazar 7 No. Basra, Begum Noakhali gonj

- 43 -

APPENDIX 2

THE STAFF AND THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE MUSEUM

According to the official 'Summary of Manpower' supplied to the consultant by the museum authorities, the following positions have been authorized for the administration of the museum:

No. Name of Post Authorized Actual Vacant

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Executive director

Deputy director

Executive engineer

Assistant director

Assistant director

Display officer

Research officer

Artisan instructor

Registration officer

Security officer

Accountant cashier

Personal assistant

Assistant librarian

Sub-assistant engineer

Photographer

Conservation assistant

Guide lecturer

Collector

- 44 -

No. Name of Post Authorized Actual Vacant

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Head assistant

Caretaker

Storekeeper

Accounts assistant

Office assistant

Typist

Electrician

Carpenter

Driver

Workshop attendant

Museum attendant

Library attendant

Security guard

Sweeper

Gardener

Peon

1

1

1

1

2

2

1

1

2

1

10

1

7

5

5

6

69

1

1

1

1

1

2

1

1

1

1

10

1

7

5

5

5

54

1

15

The actual staff of the museum at the time of the mission comprised a director, an assistant director, a display officer, a research officer (on study leave), a registration officer, a security officer, 17 security guards, a librarian, two accountants, 10 gallery attendants, an electrician, a carpenter and a driver. Few members of the administrative staff possessed formal qualifications in the ethnic arts or museum science (museology). At the time of this mission there was no photographer at the museum.

In terms of finance, the museum has two types of annual budget i.e. the Annual Development Programme and the Revenue Budget. This budget is unfortunately insufficient. Low priority is given to research, documentation, conservation, photography, travel and acquisition of collections, etc.

- 45

-

APPEN

DIX

3

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m

m

o o o * m

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o o o •. o ro

O

O

O *

•

m

n

O

o o o o

o o o m

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- 46 -

Explanatory notes on the table showing the approximate costs of implementation of the recommended programme.

Travel for field survey: the costs are inclusive of vehicle rental charge for about 12,000 kilometers of travel as well as daily allowances and • lodging for two members of the staff. The estimate is exclusive of salary and remuneration as the survey is to be conducted by the members of the regular staff of the museum.

Acquisition of collections: here the estimate is approximate as the prices of art objects vary and cannot be determined in advance. The estimate is inclusive of purchases of archaeological-historical as well as tradition-based contemporary items.

Photography and documentation: the estimate is for about 5,000 black and white photographs (negatives, materials, processing and small prints for documentation cards included), for 1,000 colour slides (material and processing included) and fees for the personnel.

Construction of new building: the total building surface is to be 75,000 square feet. At Tk. 200/-per square foot, the first phase of the building covering an area of 50,000 square feet can be built during the first year. During the next year the remaining 25,000 square feet can be constructed.

Construction of selected rural houses: according to inquiries made in Sonargaon, a hut of the kind constructed on the present museum complex can be built for about Tk. 30,000, including the materials, transportation of materials and the labour costs for five construction workers. Every year one hut can be constructed.

Crafts Village. The estimated cost of building a hut as shown in item 5 has been used here for building a hut for the craftsman. Tk. 5,000 has been added for purchase of equipment, raw materials, etc.

Repair of approach road: this being a matter for the municipal department, the estimates were not available.

Display furniture, lighting etc. The expenditure has been phased out over three years. The estimate is inclusive of materials and labour charges, design charges and case lighting.

Storage. The estimate is for shelves and stacking furniture.

Conservation. This programme is linked with the training programme of the museum personnel. It has been recommended that a conservation specialist be trained abroad for about three years, for the interim period the annual sum of Tk. 25,000 is suggested as a reserve for conservation workshops and preventive conservation programmes. This sum is to cover invitations to one or two experts to conduct such programmes during the year. In the fourth year a higher amount is suggested for building a suitable laboratory when the trained expert returns.

- 47 -

11. Training programme: the estimate is given in US Dollars as it is to be incurred outside the country. The first year's estimate is for travel and living expenses abroad: (1) Director - first year, (2) Documentation officer - six months. The estimate also includes a one-year stay in India of the conservation trainee. The second year's estimate is on the same basis except that the display officer goes abroad for six months' training. The third year's estimate is for the conservation trainee in India (final year). Salaries and remuneration of the personnel are not included in the estimate.

- 49

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- 52-

APPENDIX 6

GROUND ROOR PLAN 5CAC. H tW

SARQAR BAR! AT SONARGAON DACCA

- 53 -

APPENDIX 7

N

AREA MAP OF BANGLADESH FOLK ART & CRAFTS FOUNDATION.

(FOLK ART MUSEUM)

SCALE 16« 1 MILE

INDEX

LAND ALREADY UNDER POSSESSION ^

LAND ALLOTTED TO THE MUSEUM

SITE OF PRESENT BUILDING

SITE OF PROPOSED BUILDING -

SITE OF HUT . - ;

SITE OF WORKSHOP ~

APPROACH ROAD FROM HIGH WAY

- - o c

- 55 -

1 .Terracotta pots at a market.

2.Terracotta pote being transposed.

3* Baskets at a market.

- 56 -

4.Bamboo mats at a market. 5.Wooden objects at a market.

- 57 -

"ǻp

6.Entrance to Sonargaon showing brick paved path.

7.The MuseYun building and its approach road.

- 58

8

8.Museum building; entrance

9.Museum building; side view.

10. Dis pi ay in open courtyard and verandah.

- 59 -

11 .Rural hut; front view.

12.Rural hut; side view.

13.Rural hut; close-up.

13

- 60 -

14.Rural hut; interior.

15 Rural hut; interior.

16 Oil-mill; rural complex. ',

45

- 61 -

% m,

17

17.Crafts workshop in the rural oomplex. 18.Craftsman at the Museum making

a terracotta figure.

- 62 -

19.Model of the proposed new bui­lding of Museum.

2D.Proposed site-plan of the Museum and rural complex.

21.Land for Museum's expansion.

1\

- 63 -

22-27.Terracottas from the Museum colleotion.

*4ïF-- . .. .-. ̂ ü':;;iy%!i

- 64 -

2k

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55

- 65 -

27

66 -

28-30.Painted terraootta ware from Museum collection

31.Painted paper scroll from Museum collection.

32.Painted mask of papier maohe from Museum collection.

3*

- 67 -

33-36.Wood carvings from Museum collection

•3r

- 68

37.Woven mat from Museum collection.

38.Woven fan from Museum collection.

69 -

39. Bamboo fish-trap from Museum collection.

40.Embroidered bag from Museum collection.

41.Detail of embroidered quilt from Museum collection.

- 70 -

43

- 71 -

42-44.Cake moulds of stone from Museum collection.

45. Brass pot from Museum collecti'c 46. Silver necklace from

Museum collection.

- 72 -

47.Display gallery showing contrast between palatial building and rural display.

48-49.Display galleries showing direct exposure of objects to sunlight and sprinkle of water in uonsooi..