A SELECTION OF IMPORTANT EXHIBITS

Johann Natterer Michael Sanders

19th century Lithograph

Johann Natterer joined the expedition as a taxidermist and was in charge of zoology. He

remained in Brazil even after the expedition had officially ended, travelling the country for a

total of eighteen years. His natural-history and ethnographic collections are among the

most important in the world.

The Yanomami-Schaman Machadão Wakathatheri, Brazil 1976

Photograph: Claudia Andujar

Today, the Yanomani are one of Brazil’s largest indigenous groups. However, they will only

survive if they succeed in bridging the gap between their traditional way of life and the

national society around them. Claudia Andujar’s photographs are an important medium in

this endeavour.

The installation of the Paressi and Caripuna Collections in the „Kaiserhaus c. 1840

watercolour

The findings were on show in Vienna even before the expeditions had ended. Between

1821 and 1835 the collections were displayed in the “Brazilian Museum” in Vienna’s

Johannesgasse, between 1838 and 1840 in the “Kaiserhaus” in Ungargasse.

Reconstruction of a showcase from the „Kaiserhaus“ Paressi, Caripuna. Brazil

c. 1830 This reconstruction of a showcase from the „Kaiserhaus“ in Vienna’s Ungargasse, where

Johann Natterer’s collections were displayed between 1838 and 1840, is a highlight of the

exhibition.

Saddle and bridle for a mule Popular culture. São Paulo, Brazil

c. 1820 leather, cotton, cowrie shells, feathers, metal, l. max. 70 cm

Johann Natterer generally travelled with caravans made up of mules. The leading animal’s

bridle was decorated with cowrie shells, its jingling bells leading the way for the rest of the

caravan.

Mammals and birds from Johannn Natterer’s collection Brazil

1817–1835 Natural History Museum Vienna

The Austrian expedition focused on collecting taxidermies of different animals. Between

1817 and 1835 Johann Natterer collected not only mammals but also over 12000 birds,

including many species that were scientifically recorded for the first time.

Brazil’s colonial culture Popular culture. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

c. 1820 wood, leather, brass, ceramics, fabric, cork, l. max. 45 cm

The collections of Brazilian colonial culture, which also included objects imported from

Europe, are particularly unusual. This stirrup was probably made in Portugal.

Vessels used for personal hygiene

Para, Brazil c. 1835

ceramics, painted, h. max. 11,5 cm Shape and decoration of this ewer and basin clearly reflect European taste. They were

probably imported.

Feather cape Munduruku. Rio Tapajos, Brazil

c. 1830 feathers, cotton, w. 110 cm

The feather-objects of the Munduruku form another highlight of the exhibition. In addition to

this sumptuous feather cape two small figures show a warrior in full regalia.

Feather sceptre with case Munduruku. Rio Tapajos, Brazil

c. 1830 feathers, bamboo, reed, l. max. 74 cm

Contemporary illustrations show that participants in head-hunting rituals clutched feather

sceptres. The sceptre’s highly-formalized composition and the resulting “standard”-like

colouring are reminiscent of badges denoting membership in a clan.

Captured head-dress Parintintin, Rio Tapajos River, Brazil

c. 1830 feathers, cotton, w. 40 cm

Spoils of war included not only arms but also feather head-dresses. These were then used

in the same way as the tribe’s own feather head-dresses in trade. It is not always easy to

determine where these spoils originated as they were frequently inventoried as “parintintin”,

the Mundururuku word for “enemy”.

Head-dress Makuna-ui. Guayana, border area between Brazil/Venezuela

c 1830 feathers, bird skins, plant fibre, l. 96 cm

In Guayana feather head-dresses are generally – and in some groups exclusively – worn by

men in a ritual context. In a shamanic context feathers and bird skins visualized a close

bond with bird-shaped spirits, the shamans’ preferred spiritual helpers.

Clothes Pauxiana, Porocoto, Wapixana. Guyana, border area between Brazil/Guyana

c. 1832 plant fibres, feathers, cotton, human hair, glass beads, l. max. 71 cm

In many groups in Guyana men traditionally wore a loin cloth held up by a cotton belt and

women a loin-cloth made of glass beads. Adult members thus demonstrated their ability to

control their own sexuality, which is closely related to respecting marriage rules. Variations

in the materials used may transmit information about their wearer. For example, belts made

of the human hair of killed enemies were the preserve of successful warriors.

Rattles Tukano. Upper Rio Negro, Brazil

c. 1830 and 2006 gourd, wood, pits, seeds, colour l. max. 40 cm

Juxtaposing Tukano objects from the Natterer Collection with objects from a collection

begun in 2006 documents both continuity and changes in their material culture.

Two pectorals made of jaguar’s teeth and of cow’s teeth Bororo da Campanha (Biriboconné). Rio Paraguai, Mato Grosso, Brazil

c. 1825 jaguar’s teeth, cotton, resin; cow’s teeth, cotton, l. (in total) 129,85 cm

Today, the Bororo collection is the focus of a research project that looks at whether the

shape of these objects allows us to attribute them to a particular social group in Bororo

society.

Feather head-dress Panará. Brazil before 1975

feathers, palm leaf fibres, l. 86 cm This head-dress was made by the Panará; they are descendants of the Southern Kayapó

who were assumed - until the late 1960s - to have died out. But in 1973 a group of so-called

indios isolados was contacted and with the help of a list of words assembled by Johann

Emanuel Pohl they were identified as speakers of Southern Kayapó, who call themselves

Panará.

Animal figures made of natural rubber George Tancredi and Rufina da Silva, Makuxi. Guyana

2005 rubber, colour, l. max. 23,2 cm

For the Makuxi, rubber figures are an important medium to express their relationship with

their environment, especially with animals that serve as a source of food such as fish, but

also with animals such as the harpy that belong to the world of the spirits. George

Tancredi’s work is on show at the National Art Gallery in Georgetown.

Guaraná-Ensemble Sateré-Mawé, Lower Amazon River, Brazil

c. 1830 and 2012 gourd, rattan, fish tongue, guarana, plastic

The cultivation of guarana is the unique cultural achievement of the Sateré-Mawé. A central

aspect in their cosmology and a fair-trade commodity, it stands at the intersection of the

past and the present.

Ranulfo de Oliveira and Obadias Batista Garcia in front of the „Haus des Kaisers“ Vienna, 2012

photograph: Wolfgang Kapfhammer In March 2012, the Sateré-Mawé, Obadias Batista Garcia and Ranulfo de Oliveira, visited

the Museum of Ethnology and collaborated on this exhibition. The Museum of Ethnology in

Vienna feels strongly about presenting its holdings in a dialogue with representatives of

indigenous communities.