World Cultures Collections

Explore seven continents, four millenia and the material cultures of peoples from around the world in our World Cultural Collections..

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Vanessa Finney
Updated

06/11/25

Indonesian Textiles Collection

Discover cultural material and objects in our Indonesian Textiles Collection. The Australian Museum holds a collection of about 300 Indonesian textiles. Many textiles reflect the traditional methods of production, design and use.

Balinese art

Almost 1000 Balinese artefacts including nearly 200 Kamasan-style paintings, 100 Modernist paintings, over 100 musical instruments and 170 dance costumes and accessories.

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Ancient Egyptian Collection

The Australian Museum’s Egyptian Collection includes over one thousand objects and is one of the largest public collections of Egyptian antiquities in Australia.

Ancient Egyptian Timeline
Glossary of terms
Egyptian art

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African Collection

In 1884, the Museum acquired nearly 100 cultural objects of the Zulu people, South Africa. Learn more about the collection material originally from Africa.

Zulu shields
Stone Hand Axes from Somalia

Chinese Collection

A small collection from a cultural giant, discover the objects from China held in the Australian Museum's World Cultural Collection.

Chinese scroll painting
Bronze objects
Nestorian Stele

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Kwa-guilth Pole: British Columbia, Canada

Western Red Cedar pole of the Kwa-guilth people from British Colombia.

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Chimu Pottery from Cayalti, Peru

In 1910 the Australian Museum purchased 54 Peruvian pots from Mr Thomas Colston.

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Daha Ata Sanniya Masks

Ancient dance ritual in Sinhalese culture of Sri Lanka.

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Inuit Art collected by Andrew and Chris Perry

Inuit People in numerous local groups inhabit the Arctic and subarctic regions of Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, Alaska and Greenland.

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Museum Archives and Research Library

The Museum Archives and Research Library cares for the Museum’s institutional memory and its historic natural history book and journal collections dating from 1836.

History of the Museum
Archives
Rare books
Photography

Explore our history

Journals & Publications

Since 1827, studies on Australian Museum collections, or studies that more generally lead to a better understanding of the unique natural and cultural history of Australia and the Pacific, have been published by the Museum.

Scientific journals
Staff publications
Museum publications

Australian Museum Collections

The Australian Museum has spent more than 190 years building a vast collection of over 21.9 million objects and specimens alongside an enviable reputation for world-leading science.

Natural Sciences
Cultural collections
Museum Archives

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