Provenance research

Provenance research on seven musical instruments presented in the exhibition Afrosonica – Soundscapes
 

Preparation of the file: Raphaela von Weichs
Coordination and graphic design: Margaux Pittet
Supervision: Madeleine Leclair

The exhibition Afrosonica – Soundscapes provided an opportunity to undertake in-depth provenance research on eight musical instruments displayed around the central area of the exhibition. Selected from among the MEG’s collection of 2,500 musical instruments, these eight were chosen based on several criteria. Each one seemed to radiate a particular energy connected to its making and its use as a sound-producing tool—traces of which sometimes remain perceptible. The provenance of each instrument also tells part of the story of how the MEG’s collections came into being. For us, these eight instruments are guardian figures — Knowledge keepers. We hope that their presence at the heart of the exhibition will weave meaningful connections, in multiple ways, with the themes explored throughout the show.

This research was carried out by Raphaela von Weichs, a cultural and social anthropologist specializing in African studies, during a six-month research residency at the MEG as part of the University of Bern’s national qualification programme BNF (Beraten – Netzwerken – Fördern / Advise – Network – Promote). Her provenance research aims to shed light on the main sources of acquisition of objects collected during the colonial period and now held in a historical ethnographic museum. It also seeks to present the various contexts in which these acquisitions took place: musical instruments gathered in the field by missionaries (Pastor Fernand Grébert, François Coillard); objects that circulated through art dealers’ networks (Arthur Speyer, Jeanne Walschot); instruments previously owned by private collectors (Claire Bornand); items collected during scientific expeditions (Conradin Perner); or acquired during ethnographic field trips undertaken by MEG staff (Claude Savary, Marguerite Lobsiger-Dellenbach).

These Knowledge keepers are accompanied by a variety of documents: sound recordings (including excerpts from lectures, travelogue readings, etc.), handwritten letters, watercolours, archival documents, photographs, and filmed interviews.

Methodology

The research conducted by Raphaela von Weichs began in November 2023. At that time, the project team for the exhibition Afrosonica – Soundscapes—composed of the two curators, Madeleine Leclair (curator at the MEG) and Ntshepe Tsekere Bopape (artist and exhibition curator), together with Mathias Liengme (research associate) and Nelly Pontier (project manager)—was actively working on the exhibition’s design. The project included provenance research as a contextual foundation for the exhibition.

The research began with the analysis of an initial list of around one hundred musical instruments selected for the exhibition. In the first phase, Raphaela von Weichs consulted the MEG’s digital database, which provides access to inventories and documentary records related to each object in the collections. In most cases—but not always—two documents are available for each item: a digital copy of the original handwritten inventory volume, organized by year, and a typewritten transcription of the original descriptive record, containing information such as the inventory number, description, provenance, geographical origin, the identity of the person who transferred the object to the museum, materials used, and more.

The fact that the handwritten inventories date from different periods and various stages in the museum’s development can complicate the research process. The MEG’s collections originate from numerous private collectors—many of them from Geneva—or have been inherited from earlier public collections: the Archaeological Museum, the Art and History Museum , the Ariana Museum (initially a private museum dedicated to decorative arts), and the Museum of the Paris Evangelical Mission Society (PEMS) in Geneva.

By examining these inventories, Raphaela von Weichs was able to identify the provenance of the instruments listed in the original selection, as well as the names of the individuals involved in their collection. This preliminary phase also helped to identify instruments for which provenance information was partial or entirely lacking. A large portion of this data was supplemented through online research in accessible archival collections, museum catalogues, digital libraries, and other sources. A significant part of the research was also carried out in the MEG’s own library, which holds original publications related to many of the collectors, donors, missionaries, and others. The MEG also houses the International Archives of Popular Music (AIMP), where sound recordings were consulted, including performances, radio broadcasts, and sometimes even the voices of individuals involved in collecting the instruments.

In the end, the research focused on eight musical instruments, selected based on criteria such as historical significance, aesthetic quality, physical condition, biographical relevance, and provenance identification. Raphaela von Weichs was able to examine these instruments in the MEG’s storage facilities in order to assess their craftsmanship and study old labels and inscriptions—valuable clues that provide insight into the museographic journey of the objects and help trace their provenance history.

The research continued at the State Archives of Geneva, which hold most of the MEG’s archival collections. Much of this material is organized by historical period and context (administrative history, history of conservation, archiving practices, exhibitions, ethnographic missions, correspondence), as well as by the names of museum staff members (directors, curators, and others) and of donors or sellers of objects. In addition to this, there are many unclassified documents, making provenance research relatively time-consuming and at times unpredictable.

Complementary sources are also held within the MEG itself. These internal archives are only partially catalogued and digitized in audiovisual databases (photographs, films, and videos), and are therefore only partially accessible or identifiable—often requiring the assistance of museum staff.

Additional important sources were consulted at the Archives of the Bibliothèque de Genève and the Archives of the Paris Evangelical Missionary Society, the latter being digitized and accessible to the public.

Provenance research is a systematic process, documented in files that trace the research steps, sources, and outcomes. In this project, the researcher recorded her findings in the form of biographical narratives of the objects and their collectors, weaving their stories into a shared narrative that brings their histories into relation with one another. While provenance research is indeed a scholarly practice, it also involves intuition, unpredictability, and sometimes serendipity. Depending on how the archives are organized, how accessible they are, and what materials they contain—alongside the history of the objects’ conservation and documentation—provenance research can lead to the discovery of unexpected documents. These compelling finds may include travel journals and ethnographic field notes, as well as correspondence between donors, art dealers, and museum staff.

Acknowledgements

This provenance research was greatly enriched by the contributions of MEG staff, other researchers, research institutions, archives, libraries, museums, collectors, and their families. Historian Ian Menzies made a major contribution to the biography of Claire Bornand and to our understanding of her life in Zambia. Claire Bornand’s family kindly granted permission for excerpts from her personal journal to be exhibited and provided constructive feedback and valuable information. Collector and anthropologist Conradin Perner welcomed us into his home, gave a lengthy interview, and shared his private collection on the Anyuak of South Sudan. The staff of the Geneva City Archives—Jacques Davier and François Bos—as well as Claire-Lise Lombard of the library of the Defap - Service Protestan de Mission Protestant Mission, showed great generosity and provided essential support in the documentary research. The Royal Museum for Central Africa in Tervuren and the Ethnographic Museum of Zurich also made valuable contributions in helping to identify potential sources. We express our heartfelt gratitude to all of them. Thanks also to the luthier Luc Breton for his help in this provenance research. (Rattle from Egypt, not part of the knowledge keepers).

Biographical note

Raphaela von Weichs is an anthropologist affiliated with the University of Lausanne. Her work focuses on the history, materiality, diversity, and dynamics of cultures in Africa. She is a certified specialist in provenance research on colonial collections and looted art. The exhibition Afrosonica – Soundscapes at the MEG marked her first assignment in this emerging and fascinating field of research. She has also conducted research on the return of kings and the reconstruction of clan-based societies in Uganda, as well as on transnational religious practices within the African diaspora in Switzerland. More recently, she coordinated the ERC-funded ARTIVISM project (https://erc-artivism.ch) and published studies on comics, mural painting, and street art in Cameroon. She is currently coordinating the Swiss National Science Foundation’s Agora science outreach project ARTIVISM, while continuing her professional work in the field of provenance research.