Provenance Research Beyond the Museum: A Multi-Sited Process Between Communities, Collections and Institutions

Nyssen, Garance (2026) Provenance Research Beyond the Museum: A Multi-Sited Process Between Communities, Collections and Institutions. Museum International, 77 (3-4). pp. 36-47. ISSN 1350-0775

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Abstract

Drawing from two objects’ stories, that of a presumed fragment of maro ‘ura and a maro kura (chiefly girdles) from the Society Islands/Tōtaiete and the Tuāmotu (French Polynesia), this article advocates for conducting provenance research outside of museums. Following their return in 2022 and 2023 to the Fare Iamanaha – Musée de Tahiti et des Îles (Tahiti Museum), the presumed fragment of maro ‘ura and a maro kura have triggered interrogations among Polynesian artisans, artists, archaeologists, anthropologists, cultural leaders and practitioners and museum staff members, amongst others. They have questioned and complexified previous research conducted in Paris on the presumed fragment of maro ‘ura, and initiated provenance research on the maro kura. Collaboratively and intuitively, a multi-sited provenance research method was developed, tailored through encounters and voyages between Europe and French Polynesia, and guided by Polynesian mentors. These stories demonstrate that the return of objects can initiate a kind of provenance research that prioritises knowledge co-production, and foster shared efforts to recover the itineraries of objects.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	repatriation,multi-sited research,maro 'ura,maro kura,french polynesia
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Arts and Humanities > School of History
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Arts and Humanities > Research Centres > Sainsbury Research Unit for the Arts of Africa, Oceania and the Americas
Depositing User:	LivePure Connector
Date Deposited:	20 Mar 2026 15:30
Last Modified:	20 Mar 2026 15:30
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/102518
DOI:	10.1080/13500775.2025.2634570

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