Objects
The Museum exhibits a wide variety of African cultural objects throughout its galleries including surgical instruments, religious and initiation ceremonial items, examples of personal adornment, costume, weapons, musical instruments, domestic utensils and craft working equipment.
The geographical spread of the collections ranges from Tunisia in the north to Namibia in the south; from The Gambia in the west to Abyssinia (Ethiopia) in the east.
The displays give a wonderful insight into every aspect of daily life of the people Major Powell-Cotton met on his numerous expeditions to Africa.
In almost every instance the objects are recorded in the Major's notes with detail of precisely where and when they were collected. Sometimes he supplemented his field notes with photographs and film. Embracing innovation, the Major used the latest technology to assist his meticulous approach to documentation.
The ethnographic holdings at Quex surpass most other collections of African material culture in the UK, not just for their extent and diversity but notably for the documentary information that accompanies them and establishes their provenance.
