Provenance research

The aim of provenance research is to reconstruct the history of objects and clarify ownership relationships. It seeks to answer the following question: where does this object come from, and by whom, when and why did it come into the institution’s possession? Provenance research has become one of the key issues in the study of ethnographic collections, as recommended by ICOM in its Code of Ethics.

In 2016, the MCAH began provenance research on its ethnographic collection, which comprises over 4,800 objects from other continents (Africa, the Americas, Asia and Oceania). This collection was built up, for the most part, through donations made to the museum by Swiss people between 1820 and 1980.

1. Detail of a padded saddle, Upper Missouri Valley, North Dakota and Minnesota, first half of the 19th century. Leather, glass beads, metal. Artist(s) undocumented. Probably from the Rodolphe Wyss collection (Red River Colony) – donation?, I/D-375. © Nadine Jacquet, MCAH

2. Display case from the Ellenberger collection, from Lesotho, in the exhibition ‘Tracing Provenance’ (MCAH, 12 October 2021 – 8 May 2022). © Nadine Jacquet, MCAH

3. Pair of beaded moccasins, Plains region, 20th century – smoked deerskin, glass beads. Artists undocumented. Donated by Sister Aline Marie Gerber in 1987, I/G-0326. © Mathieu Bernard-Reymond, MCAH

4. Anthropomorphic statuette, probably Yaka, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Wood, metal, feather, textile, seed. Artists undocumented. Donated in 1905 by Mr Brun, described as a ‘prospector in the Congo’; previous method of acquisition unknown, II/A-158 © Yves André, MCAH

Objects from colonial contexts

This historical research has revealed the existence of archives and collections from the same donors or geographical origins held in other museums and archive centres across Europe and internationally.

Thanks to this provenance research, it has been established that objects from certain collections originate from colonial contexts. The museum has begun making contact with the communities concerned. No requests for return or restitution have been made to date.

Long-term research

Provenance research continues year on year. Wherever possible, the study of the objects is always carried out in collaboration with the communities concerned. In 2023 and 2024, the MCAH was one of the museums to receive support from the Federal Office of Culture for provenance research (see box).

In 2025, the MCAH launched a major research project on objects originating from the present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo. This work is being carried out in close collaboration with the Swiss African Diaspora Council, the Naturéum, the University of Lausanne, the notrehistoire.ch platform, as well as the University of Kinshasa and the Institute of National Museums of the Congo.

Sharing and Accessibility

The findings of this historical research are made accessible to the public as far as possible through a series of exhibitions, including Exotic? (2021–2021), Tracing Provenance (2021–2022), The MCAH’s Invisible Collections (2016–2017) and, more recently, Autobiography of a Métis Saddle (2024–2025).

Provenance research is also accompanied by publications in the Patrimoines. Collections cantonales vaudoises series in the form of special editions. Several reports are available here (see boxes).

Publications

. Voyageurs, naturalistes et militaires. Des collectes dans les îles du Pacifique et de l’océan Indien aux réserves du Musée cantonal d’archéologie et d’histoire à Lausanne, Hors-série n^o 1, Patrimoines. Collections cantonales vaudoises. 2019. (in French)
. Collections nord-américaines. Regards croisés / Perspectives on North American Collections, Hors-série no 3, PatrimoineS. Collections cantonales vaudoises. 2024. (in French and English)

Studies reports and related publications

. Abegg, Claudine with Sabine Kammermann, Virginie Magnin and Claire Brizon. 2025. Anthropological, Pathological, and Historical Analyses of a Mummified Cranium From Bolivia Hosted in the Museum of Cantonal Archaeology and History of Lausanne, Switzerland. In. International Journal of Osteoarchaeology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd

. Brizon Claire et Sara Petrella. 2025. Patrimoines autochtones et muséologie participative. Théorie et pratique de restitution en Suisse. In. Relations internationales, Editions Presses Universitaires de France (puf), p.25-39

. Brizon, Claire. 2025. Peuplement. In. Sara Petrella, Mylène Steity (dir.), ABC arts & musées. Histoire coloniale et voix autochtones, Genève-Zurich : Seismo, p. 340-347

. Brizon, Claire. 2024. Rapport du projet de recherche de provenance soutenu par l’Office fédéral de la culture pour les années 2023-2024. Collection d’ethnographie du MCAH et origine coloniale ?

. Abegg, Claudine. 2024. Rapport d’étude anthropologique de quatre ensembles momifiés du musée cantonal d’archéologie et d’histoire de Lausanne (MCAH).

. Gallay, Audrey (dir.). 2024. Étude d’ossements de provenance extra-européenne, collection anthropologique du Musée cantonal d’archéologie et d’histoire (VD).

. Peers, Laura. 2024. Walter von Hauser and the pad saddle now at the Musée Cantonal d’archéologie et d’histoire (MCAH), Lausanne.

. Rast-Eicher, Antoinette. 2024. Selle amérindienne de Hudson Bay N.Y. du MCAH: Fibres et textiles.