The Mashu Museum of Ethnology and Jo Thorpe Collection
University of KwaZulu-Natal
The establishment of a museum of African culture situated in Durban was the ideal of William Campbell.1 It was with this in mind that he and his sister Killie initiated what has become an extensive collection of material cultural artifacts, including metal-work, pottery, woodwork, basketry, musical instruments, costume and beadwork, from all the indigenous cultures of southern Africa
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Type
Country
South Africa
Copyright
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Language
English
Locations Discussed
Sub-Saharan Africa
Southern Africa
South Africa
Note
Jo Thorpe and a generation of African Artists
An item of dress or a work of art?
Barbara Tyrrell and the Campbell Collections
Soft-sculpture Dolls
inkhanyesi - The Campbell Collections' logo
Bequeathed to the University of Natal
The collection was named in honour of Sir Marshall Campbell who, like his son William, had a great respect for the Zulu people, both father and son having been councillors to the AmaQadi clan from Inanda. The envisaged museum for Durban did not materialise, despite William's best efforts and thus the collection of artifacts remained at Muckleneuk. For many years items of traditional craft were displayed on bookshelves, tables and chests in the house, until the original back-kitchen was converted to an ethnographic gallery in 1972, several years after the Campbell Collections became part of the University of Natal (now KwaZulu-Natal)