The Chau Chak Wing Museum is a university museum at the University of Sydney , Australia.
52-755: It was formed by the amalgamating the Nicholson Museum , the Macleay Museum , and the University Art Collection. The collections began with the Nicholson Collection of antiquities in 1860 and continued to grow to include the Macleay Collections of natural history, ethnography, science and historic photography, and the University Art Collection. The three collections were brought together under Sydney University Museums in 2005. The museum
104-575: A fragment of a red granite thought to be from Hatshepsut's obelisk. Beginning in 1860 with a single artefact from the original donation by Sir Charles Nicholson, the collection grew exponentially, especially under the curatorial direction of firstly William Woodhouse (honorary curator 1903-1938) and then James Stewart (honorary curator 1954-1962). Many of the artefacts within the collection were sourced directly from Stewart's own excavations conducted at Bellapais Vounous, Karmi Palealona, Karmi Lapasta, Nicosia Ayia Paraskevi and Vasilia Kafkallia as well as from
156-575: A fragment of a red granite thought to be from Hatshepsut's obelisk. Beginning in 1860 with a single artefact from the original donation by Sir Charles Nicholson, the collection grew exponentially, especially under the curatorial direction of firstly William Woodhouse (honorary curator 1903-1938) and then James Stewart (honorary curator 1954-1962). Many of the artefacts within the collection were sourced directly from Stewart's own excavations conducted at Bellapais Vounous, Karmi Palealona, Karmi Lapasta, Nicosia Ayia Paraskevi and Vasilia Kafkallia as well as from
208-610: A museum, "calculated materially to promote the object[ives] for which the [The University of Sydney] was founded." By 1870, the University of Sydney's Museum of Antiquities included over 3,000 artefacts and had been nicknamed the Nicholsonian Museum . Over the past 160 years, the Nicholson Collection has expanded through ambitious acquisition programs, generous donation and private bequests. International excavations in Egypt , Cyprus and
260-639: A significant historic photograph collection of over 1,350 glass negatives taken by former curator William J. Woodhouse. The ancient Egyptian collection included artefacts from a variety of ancient sites including Abydos , Alexandria , Bubastis , Fayum , Heliopolis , Memphis , Saqqara , and Thebes . Egyptian material formed a large part of Sir Charles Nicholson's founding donation. He traveled throughout Egypt between 1856 and 1857 purchasing artefacts from dealers in Cairo and Luxor as well as collecting artefacts straight from sites, including Karnak where he collected
312-621: A single director, David Ellis, in 2003 to form Sydney University Museums. In 2005, Michael Turner was appointed Senior Curator. The permanent collections of the Nicholson Museum spanned the ancient world with primary collection areas including the Classical world of Greece and Italy, Egypt, Cyprus, the Near East and Northern Europe from the Neolithic to Medieval periods. The Collection also includes
364-411: A variety of ancient sites including Abydos , Alexandria , Bubastis , Fayum , Heliopolis , Memphis , Saqqara , and Thebes . Egyptian material formed a large part of Sir Charles Nicholson's founding donation. He traveled throughout Egypt between 1856 and 1857 purchasing artefacts from dealers in Cairo and Luxor as well as collecting artefacts straight from sites, including Karnak where he collected
416-578: Is interpreted and ways forward for participation. This interdisciplinary project examines 20 ancient Egyptian stelae , made from limestone, pottery and wood that were produced and decorated between the New Kingdom (c.1500–1069 BCE) and the Ptolemaic Period (c.332–30 BCE). The first Administrator of British New Guinea , William MacGregor , made a significant collection of objects between 1888 and 1898, specifically for its future citizens. The aim of
468-666: Is named after Chau Chak Wing , a Chinese-Australian businessman who donated $ 15 million for the building's construction in 2015. Other major benefactors were Penelope Seidler , the Ian Potter Foundation and Nelson Meers Foundation. The museum was officially opened on the 18 November 2020. In September 2023 it hosted the International Council of Museums Committee for University Museums and Collections Conference, "Truth-telling through university museums and collections". The museum's collection of human remains from Egypt
520-511: Is now housed in the Chau Chak Wing Museum at the University of Sydney, open from November 2020. The museum was located in the main quadrangle of the University . The Nicholson Museum was named after its founder, Sir Charles Nicholson . In 1856-57, Nicholson traveled throughout Egypt and then Italy where he acquired the first thousand or so primarily ancient Egyptian , Greek , South Italian and Etruscan artefacts. These he donated to
572-536: The Australian Archaeological Institute at Athens . This project which examines trade processes to reconstruct and understand the mechanisms of natural history trade. The Pseudoplesiopinae is a subfamily of small coral-reef fishes found throughout the Indo-Pacific . The study aims to determine species within the subfamily and investigate their phylogenetic relationships . In July 2017,
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#1732858965519624-545: The Mediterranean , North Africa , the Middle East and Europe . Spanning from the pre- Neolithic to the late medieval period, these artefacts hold intimate stories of people’s everyday lives, ancient environments, and cultural activity for over more than 10,000 years. The collection was founded in 1860 by Sir Charles Nicholson with a donation of Etruscan , Greek , Roman and Egyptian antiquities acquired to establish
676-586: The China Gallery. Indigenous Australian design features were incorporated design and landscaping of the building. The forecourt incorporates a replica of a pre-invasion Aboriginal petroglyph of two wallabies originally located in Westleigh and the foyer prominently displays a Welcome to Country in the Sydney language . Construction of the new museum was completed in 2020. The museum has three main collections,
728-640: The Greek and Italian Classical world. Temporary exhibitions included: LEGO Pompeii , featuring a large scale model of the site of Pompeii in LEGO and 50 Objects, 50 Stories – which was moved to Chau Chak Wing Museum upon the closing of Nicholson. The Nicholson Museum, along with its sister institutions, the Macleay Museum and the University Art Gallery, were united under a single director, David Ellis, in 2003 to form Sydney University Museums. In 2005, Michael Turner
780-523: The Levantine coast, across Mesopotamia and through to Pakistan and India. The Near Eastern collection began with just a handful of artefacts from Ur, donated by the British Museum in 1926. This was greatly expanded upon in the mid 20th century by the acquisition program of the curators A.D. Trendall and his successor James Stewart. Both curators wrote countless letters to museums and government agencies around
832-414: The Levantine coast, across Mesopotamia and through to Pakistan and India. The Near Eastern collection began with just a handful of artefacts from Ur, donated by the British Museum in 1926. This was greatly expanded upon in the mid 20th century by the acquisition program of the curators A.D. Trendall and his successor James Stewart. Both curators wrote countless letters to museums and government agencies around
884-651: The Macleay Collection, the Nicholson Collection, and the University of Art Collection. The Macleay Collection is the oldest natural history collection in Australia, originating in the cabinets of Alexander Macleay , and expanding through the collecting networks of the Macleay family from Charles Darwin to Sir Stamford Raffles . It contains historically rich collections of Aboriginal , Torres Strait and Pacific Islanders ' cultural material, including objects collected on
936-690: The Middle East, partly sponsored by the University of Sydney have also contributed significant objects to the collection. The collection contains more than 8000 works including paintings, sculptures, photography and ceramics. Among the first donors was one of its founders, Sir Charles Nicholson, who gave some 30 European paintings, tapestries and sculptures in 1865. The strength of the collection lies in Australian painting – including Indigenous art – as well as significant holdings in European and Asian art. In 2021,
988-443: The Near East as well as a permanent display of artefacts from the Greek and Italian Classical world. Temporary exhibitions included: LEGO Pompeii , featuring a large scale model of the site of Pompeii in LEGO and 50 Objects, 50 Stories – which was moved to Chau Chak Wing Museum upon the closing of Nicholson. The Nicholson Museum, along with its sister institutions, the Macleay Museum and the University Art Gallery, were united under
1040-545: The Pacific region, from the late 1840s to the 1960s, as captured by both commercial and amateur photographers. It includes a wide range of photographic formats, reflecting the changing technology of photography. In addition, the Macleay Collections holds material reflecting the museum's history, including a significant library, furniture, documents and ephemera relating to the major collectors. The Nicholson Collection contains nearly 30,000 artefacts representing ancient cultures from
1092-580: The Roman World. From the museum's foundation the cultures of ancient Italy have been strongly represented in the collection. Sir Charles Nicholson spent considerable time in Rome collecting Latin inscriptions, Etruscan funerary urns and bronzes, South Italian vases and Roman lamps, figurines and ceramics. Additional large sculptural works were also acquired by Sir Charles including two life-sized togatus statues along with several fragmentary figures. The Italian collection
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#17328589655191144-479: The Roman World. From the museum's foundation the cultures of ancient Italy have been strongly represented in the collection. Sir Charles Nicholson spent considerable time in Rome collecting Latin inscriptions, Etruscan funerary urns and bronzes, South Italian vases and Roman lamps, figurines and ceramics. Additional large sculptural works were also acquired by Sir Charles including two life-sized togatus statues along with several fragmentary figures. The Italian collection
1196-636: The University in 1860. The museum's collection grew exponentially since this founding donation. Individual benefaction, donations, sponsored archaeological projects and curatorial acquisition have all contributed to the wealth of material in the Nicholson Collection. The museum had a mixture of permanent and temporary exhibition areas within its gallery. Permanent or ongoing exhibitions included: Egyptians, Gods and Mummies: Travels with Herodotus, Aphrodite's Island: Australian Archaeologists in Cyprus; The Etruscans: A Classical Fantasy; Tombs, Tells and Temples: Excavating
1248-514: The collection spans the ancient world with primary collection areas including ancient Egypt , Greece , Italy , Cyprus , and the Near East . The museum closed permanently in February 2020, and the Nicholson Collection is now housed in the Chau Chak Wing Museum at the University of Sydney, open from November 2020. The museum was located in the main quadrangle of the University . The Nicholson Museum
1300-457: The early scientific expedition, the Chevert , and those collected in the early years of anthropology at the University of Sydney. The work of University of Sydney scientists is reflected in the collection of scientific instruments and apparatus used in research and teaching, and is part of the story of scientific practice in Australia. The Historic Photograph Collection records life in Australia and
1352-582: The end of each season including full tomb groups from the Bronze Age and rare finds such as our Neolithic over plastered skull. Other items have been acquired through generous donations of individual archaeologists, including Sir Leonard Woolley and Sir Flinders Petrie , as well as from archaeological institutes, museums and private donors. A modern display of Pompeii built with LEGO was featured in Nicholson museum. Professional LEGO builder Ryan McNaught assembled
1404-477: The end of each season including full tomb groups from the Bronze Age and rare finds such as our Neolithic over plastered skull. Other items have been acquired through generous donations of individual archaeologists, including Sir Leonard Woolley and Sir Flinders Petrie , as well as from archaeological institutes, museums and private donors. A modern display of Pompeii built with LEGO was featured in Nicholson museum. Professional LEGO builder Ryan McNaught assembled
1456-451: The excavations of at the sites of Myrtou Stephania and Myrtou Sphagion, conducted by Stewart's former student Basil Hennessy, who later became Professor of Near Eastern Archaeology at the University of Sydney. As a result of these acquisitions, the Museum held many complete tomb groups of archaeological importance. The Nicholson Collection's Greek collections contains artefacts representative of
1508-402: The excavations of at the sites of Myrtou Stephania and Myrtou Sphagion, conducted by Stewart's former student Basil Hennessy, who later became Professor of Near Eastern Archaeology at the University of Sydney. As a result of these acquisitions, the Museum held many complete tomb groups of archaeological importance. The Nicholson Collection's Greek collections contains artefacts representative of
1560-459: The founding donation of the Nicholson Museum. Further material, representative of the Greek mainland and islands, was bought during the curatorship of A. D. Trendall. His proactive acquisition program involved purchasing a wide range of ceramic types of Greek origin as well as significant contributions of sherd material for teaching purposes sought from prominent museums and individual collectors and scholars, including Sir John Beazley . The collection
1612-459: The founding donation of the Nicholson Museum. Further material, representative of the Greek mainland and islands, was bought during the curatorship of A. D. Trendall. His proactive acquisition program involved purchasing a wide range of ceramic types of Greek origin as well as significant contributions of sherd material for teaching purposes sought from prominent museums and individual collectors and scholars, including Sir John Beazley . The collection
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1664-460: The material culture of the Greek mainland, islands and surrounding regions, from the Bronze Age through to the Late Hellenistic period. During Sir Charles Nicholson's travels to Egypt and Europe between 1856 and 1858 he acquired, primarily in Rome, a range of Classical and Hellenistic Greek ceramics as well as terracotta figurines. In total over seventy significant Greek artefacts were included in
1716-401: The material culture of the Greek mainland, islands and surrounding regions, from the Bronze Age through to the Late Hellenistic period. During Sir Charles Nicholson's travels to Egypt and Europe between 1856 and 1858 he acquired, primarily in Rome, a range of Classical and Hellenistic Greek ceramics as well as terracotta figurines. In total over seventy significant Greek artefacts were included in
1768-632: The museum launched a crowdsourcing project to help identify and catalogue the Woodhouse Photographic Archive of glass-plate negatives taken in Greece during the 1890s and early 1900s. The museum has published a biannual magazine, Muse, since 2012. The magazine has won design awards from Museums Australia. Other publications include: 33°53′07″S 151°11′26″E / 33.8853°S 151.1905°E / -33.8853; 151.1905 Nicholson Museum The Nicholson Museum
1820-599: The museum won the Museums and Galleries National Award (MAGNA) and two Museums Australasia Multimedia and Publication Design Awards (MAPDA). The museum won the 2023 UMAC Award for its object-based learning program. It is the first time the UMAC Award has been won by an Australian university. Internally the museum's object-based learning program aims to provide access to the collections to university students. This has including increasing cross-disciplinary collaborations with parts of
1872-524: The museum's holdings from Jericho in the West Bank . The collection was obtained as the Nicholson Museum was one of the financial sponsors for Kathleen Kenyon 's archaeological research in the region. Ongoing excavations at the ancient theatre and surrounding environs of Nea Paphos that was the capital of Cyprus under the Ptolemaic and then Roman administrations. The Paphos excavations are supported by
1924-556: The project is to re-assemble and re-connect this material by 'excavating' its private and official components, focusing on the makers and traders to disentangle the social relationships embedded in the objects. This research project seeks to understand better different public attitudes and responses to the display of human remains with a particular focus on museum visitors and Egyptian communities in Australia’s diaspora, in Egypt , and elsewhere. An ongoing research project to investigate
1976-518: The rear of the piece – foreshadows the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, which destroyed the town. The exhibit attracted new audiences to Nicholson Museum. Nicholson Museum The Nicholson Museum was an archaeological museum at the University of Sydney home to the Nicholson Collection, the largest collection of antiquities in both Australia and the Southern Hemisphere. Founded in 1860,
2028-526: The university that did not traditionally engage with the collections, such as the University of Sydney Business School . In 2022 the curators of the Nicholson Collection and our research partners from the Egypt's Dispersed Heritage Project, Heba Abd Al-Gawad and Alice Stevenson , invited members of the Egyptian-Australian community to a weekend long focus group to discuss the ways in which Egyptian heritage
2080-432: The wealth of material in the Nicholson Collection. The museum had a mixture of permanent and temporary exhibition areas within its gallery. Permanent or ongoing exhibitions included: Egyptians, Gods and Mummies: Travels with Herodotus, Aphrodite's Island: Australian Archaeologists in Cyprus; The Etruscans: A Classical Fantasy; Tombs, Tells and Temples: Excavating the Near East as well as a permanent display of artefacts from
2132-471: The work. The display showed Pompeii as it was the moment of destruction, as it was when rediscovered, and as it is today. The exhibit appears to be an attempt to appeal to contemporary audiences, and especially a younger generation, including current HSC ancient history students, as Pompeii is an early part of the curriculum taught. Upon seeing the exhibit it is apparent that a lot of work has gone into it (around 470 hours). The deep red glow – only noticeable from
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2184-471: The work. The display showed Pompeii as it was the moment of destruction, as it was when rediscovered, and as it is today. The exhibit appears to be an attempt to appeal to contemporary audiences, and especially a younger generation, including current HSC ancient history students, as Pompeii is an early part of the curriculum taught. Upon seeing the exhibit it is apparent that a lot of work has gone into it (around 470 hours). The deep red glow – only noticeable from
2236-424: The world requesting representative samples of artefacts to ensure the Nicholson Museum's holdings reflected the diversity of this expansive region. The University of Sydney also contributed financially to archaeological excavations and projects in the Near East, most notably Dame Kathleen Kenyon ’s excavations at Jericho . In return for the University's support the Nicholson Museum received a consignment of objects at
2288-424: The world requesting representative samples of artefacts to ensure the Nicholson Museum's holdings reflected the diversity of this expansive region. The University of Sydney also contributed financially to archaeological excavations and projects in the Near East, most notably Dame Kathleen Kenyon ’s excavations at Jericho . In return for the University's support the Nicholson Museum received a consignment of objects at
2340-422: Was an archaeological museum at the University of Sydney home to the Nicholson Collection, the largest collection of antiquities in both Australia and the Southern Hemisphere. Founded in 1860, the collection spans the ancient world with primary collection areas including ancient Egypt , Greece , Italy , Cyprus , and the Near East . The museum closed permanently in February 2020, and the Nicholson Collection
2392-486: Was appointed Senior Curator. The permanent collections of the Nicholson Museum spanned the ancient world with primary collection areas including the Classical world of Greece and Italy, Egypt, Cyprus, the Near East and Northern Europe from the Neolithic to Medieval periods. The Collection also includes a significant historic photograph collection of over 1,350 glass negatives taken by former curator William J. Woodhouse. The ancient Egyptian collection included artefacts from
2444-543: Was featured in the second season of " Stuff the British Stole ". The building is located on Camperdown Campus of the University of Sydney, opposite the Main Quadrangle and Fisher Library . The building was designed by Johnson Pilton Walker. The building is five-storey, with four levels of exhibition space with six main galleries: Ian Potter Gallery, Macleay Gallery, Nicholson Gallery, Penelope Gallery, Power Gallery, and
2496-499: Was further developed with the acquisition of a significant corpus of South Italian vases by A.D. Trendall during his curatorial tenure. Many of the significant pieces from the South Italian collection were comprehensively published in the first Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum of an Australian collection. The Nicholson Museum's collection of Near Eastern artefacts represented many of the great cities and civilisations that flourished along
2548-443: Was further developed with the acquisition of a significant corpus of South Italian vases by A.D. Trendall during his curatorial tenure. Many of the significant pieces from the South Italian collection were comprehensively published in the first Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum of an Australian collection. The Nicholson Museum's collection of Near Eastern artefacts represented many of the great cities and civilisations that flourished along
2600-477: Was named after its founder, Sir Charles Nicholson . In 1856-57, Nicholson traveled throughout Egypt and then Italy where he acquired the first thousand or so primarily ancient Egyptian , Greek , South Italian and Etruscan artefacts. These he donated to the University in 1860. The museum's collection grew exponentially since this founding donation. Individual benefaction, donations, sponsored archaeological projects and curatorial acquisition have all contributed to
2652-533: Was then expanded following a donation of hundreds of pottery fragments and small votive objects by the family of former curator William J Woodhouse in 1948. The majority of this material is thought to have been collected during Woodhouse's 1890s and 1930s trips to Greece, documented in the Woodhouse photographic collection. The Italian collection is representative of the diversity of the ancient Italian world with significant cultural material from Etruria, South Italy and
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#17328589655192704-481: Was then expanded following a donation of hundreds of pottery fragments and small votive objects by the family of former curator William J Woodhouse in 1948. The majority of this material is thought to have been collected during Woodhouse's 1890s and 1930s trips to Greece, documented in the Woodhouse photographic collection. The Italian collection is representative of the diversity of the ancient Italian world with significant cultural material from Etruria, South Italy and
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