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1. Collection: Nature, Purchase,
Gift, Loan and Exchange
Dr. Virag Sontakke

3. Antiquity
• Antiquity includes
a) any coin,
b) sculpture,
c) painting,
d) epigraph or
e) other work of art or craftsmanship;
f) any article, object or thing detached from a building or cave that is of
historical interest,
• Antiquity has been in existence for more than one hundred years.
• This also includes any
a) manuscript,
b) Record or other documents which was of scientific, historical, literary or
aesthetic value and which had not less than 75 years of existence

4. Acquisition
1. Explorations/ survey,
2. Excavations
3. Gifts
4. Loan
5. Compulsory acquisition of antiquities
6. Purchase
7. Exchange

5. Field Work/ Survey
• A Field Survey is the most important way to acquire the objects.
• It includes items gained from explorations by archaeological
departments, universities, students etc.
• Surveys also conducted by the Geological survey of India,
Archaeological Survey of India, Survey of India, Zoological Survey of
India, Botanical Survey of India, Anthropological Survey of India etc.
• Regional and local people also collect items and bring them to the
museums.
• These include objects of historical importance both in geographical and
cultural terms.

6. • Archaeological Survey of India: items of art and archaeological
significance
• Zoological Survey: Animals collections from seashore and
forests.
• Botanist: Botanical samples from the forest
• Geologists: Fossils, stones, minerals
• Anthropologists: Tribal items
Field Work/ Survey

7. Excavations
• Excavation is a scientific method of revealing the buried
objects under the earth.
• Excavation is one of the significant sources of collection of
ancient objects in museums.
• Items recovered from excavations are studied and published in
a report
• Subsequently, the important objects are displayed in the
Museum
• The departmental museum is full of the excavated remains
conducted by the department.
• Archaeological Survey of India’s Museums are displaying the

8. Gift
• Gift is the significant source to enhancing collection
• In the European countries, the individuals made the collections and they
were later gifted to the museums.
• The British Museum came into existence by the bequest of Sir Hans
Sloane.
• Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad is a museum established out of the
collection of Salar Jung III and the gifts from well-wishers and art
collectors of the area.
• In India, many traditional rulers donated their private collections to
museums.

9. Purchase
• Another way of collecting objects for museums is through purchase.
• It, however, is subject to the availability of finances.
• Every museum allocates funds for the purchase of museum objects.
• Small museums purchase objects as and when objects come for sale.
• The curator for Anthropology undertook a tour of tribal areas to collect objects
through purchase from the Tribals at very nominal rates.
• The museum must set up an Objects Purchase Committee or Art Purchase Committee
• The Committee consists of experts in the field.
• Any object before it is brought into museum collection, the opinion of the expert in the
field should be sought for the genuineness and proposed value of the specimen.
• This committee inspect the purchase under reasonable charges.
• The art Purchase/Acquisition Committee has been defunct since 1997
• Before making the final payment, attempts also may be made to verify the source of
the objects.

10. Transfer
• Sometimes the museums receive objects through transfer from one
museum to another.
• For example, some of the objects acquired by the British museums
from India during the colonial period were returned after
independence.
• Some objects are transferred from the State to the National Museums
and vice versa depending upon the nature of the objects.

11. Loan
• Museums regularly use this method to enlarge their collections.
• Museums often receive objects both short-term and long-term or permanent loans.
• The borrowing institutions have to maintain the objects in good condition and send
an annual report on the condition of the objects.
• The borrowing institutions also inspect the condition of the objects loaned by its
officers.
• The objects on short-term loans are for specific purposes such as special exhibitions
or touring exhibitions.
• Some objects are loaned to other institutions on long-term loans, say for 99 years.
• In Government Museums the loan is given only after getting necessary permission
from the Government concerned.
• It, however, does not involve the transfer of title and the lender museum gets its
objects back after a definite period.
• It is a two-way process and benefits all the museums.

12. Treasure-Trove
• According to the Indian Treasure-trove Act, of 1878, buried objects when exposed
from the ground belong to the Government
• Such objects when exposed accidentally brought to the knowledge of the
Collector of the district.
• The Collector informs the head of the department of museums and if he
requires the objects, the treasure-trove objects are sent to the museum for
examination.
• Compensation is given to the person who found the treasure as well as the
owner of the land.
• Such facilities are available only to the government museums.
• The Government Museum, Chennai is augmenting its collection with
Treasure-trove objects.
• The important additions to the bronze collection are the Buddhist sculptures
from Nagappattinam, Velankanni Nataraja etc.

13. Donation
• Many museums are brought into existence by generous
collectors who have decided to give their private collections to
the community.
• Many museums can enhance their collections through
donations.
• At a time in which acquisition funds are limited, many
museums have to develop their donor programs
• Three matters that should be considered
1. the power to accept donations;
2. the means used to secure legal ownership of the material.
3. whether the museum wants the gift.

14. Conclusion
• The collection is an integral part of the Museums
• Different methods used by museums to enlarge their collection
• The new collection adds a new identity to the Museums
• Collection policy may differ according to the nature of
Museums, Its size and kind
• Big and centralised/ National museum always under need of
new collection