音频游览 The history of the museum and its collections

Welcome to the permanent exhibition « Masks from all over the world » ! Please make yourself comfortable in the first room...

Let’s begin with a short introduction !

 A site laden with history

The site of the museum is laden with history. From the 16th century, it housed several educational establishments. The ensemble was listed  by the Royal Commission for Monuments and Sites in 1965.

Img 001 - 002 - 003

Vidéo Behind the museum -un lieu chargé d’histoire

The creation of the museum

On the initiative of Samuel Glotz and thanks to the mayor of the town, Charles Deliège, the idea of the creation of a Carnival and Mask Museum in Binche came about immediately after the end of World War II. Samuel Glotz was succeeded by Michel Revelard in 1981, by Christel Deliège in 2006 and by Clémence Mathieu in 2017. 

Vidéo Behind the museum – la création du musée

 Img 004 - 005 - 006

A little bit of history about a large collection

The collection does not only deal with the mask as an isolated object, but also with its context and all objects completing it. Indeed, the mask cannot be conceived without the costume, the ritual objects and the musical instruments accompanying it. The museum’s collection which currently comprises more than 11.000 items gives an exceptional overview of the world’s masking traditions. Geographically speaking, the objects come from all five continents.

 Vidéo Behind the museum – une politique d’acquisition rigoureuse

Img 007 

The museum’s purposes

Collecting and preserving the collection items as well as studying them scientifically, presenting and making them accessible to the public are the main purposes of the museum which through its activities participates in promoting and deepening the knowledge about intangible heritage of humanity. Conserving the collection objects is indispensable to guarantee their sustainability.

Vidéo Behind the museum – la conservation préventive des pièces

 Img 008

The signification of the mask

The mask has existed all over the world for thousands of years which makes it a universal object. However, it can only be comprehended in its local context. The va riety of materials used for mask making is infinite.

In the first showcase of this room, you can see that masks (generally worn together with a costume) can have different forms.

The definition of masks also includes puppetry, tatoos and scarifications as well as make-up if it is repetitive and has specific significations.

 Img 009

Vidéo Behind the museum – le port du masque, un rituel présent sur tous les continents.