| The Museum was established by Major | | | | contrary, many species that were |
| Percy Horace Gordon Powell-Cotton, who | | | | endangered in Powell-Cotton's time are |
| spent forty years exploring Africa and | | | | now thriving as a result of his |
| Asia and collecting in the UK. Once he'd | | | | educational legacy. The museum is also |
| run out of room in the house, he built a | | | | proud of its primate collection. Many of |
| 'Pavilion' alongside. This was opened to | | | | these were traded from local people who |
| family and friends around 1895, and | | | | routinely hunted the animals for food. |
| today it is just one gallery in a museum | | | | Other galleries display a wide range of |
| that displays around 400 animal | | | | African cultural artefacts, including |
| specimens. The overall collection is | | | | jewellery, costumes, weapons and |
| huge and the curator, Malcolm Harman, | | | | domestic utensils. The exhibition helps |
| admits that the artefacts never been | | | | to put many of these into context, with |
| totalled up. He estimates that the | | | | background information and photographs |
| ethnography section alone contains | | | | of many of the ethnic groups that |
| around 18,000 items. | | | | Powell-Cotton met during his travels. |
| Arguably the most famous galleries are | | | | The collection bug was also passed on to |
| those housing the taxidermy. Modern | | | | two of the Major's daughters, who added |
| attitudes have, perhaps, distorted the | | | | several thousand objects, photographs |
| scientific nature of the collection and | | | | and films from their own travels in |
| although some sections may not be to | | | | Angola. |
| everyone's taste, Powell-Cotton was a | | | | In one of the most exciting and diverse |
| genuine conservationist. Many of the | | | | collections in private ownership, there |
| animals are displayed in such a | | | | are also displays of local archaeology, |
| convincing manner that you almost forget | | | | firearms and cutting weapons from around |
| you're not on the African Savannah. As | | | | the world, Asian artefacts, Japanese |
| well as the stunning dioramas there are | | | | Netsuke and porcelain. Many of these |
| mounted heads and carefully preserved | | | | items were obtained by the Major from |
| skins. The glass case housing a lion in | | | | sale rooms and auctions. Much of the |
| mid-attack on a buffalo is one of my | | | | porcelain came from the collection of Mr |
| personal favourites. Irrespective of | | | | Pope, a former Catholic missionary. |
| your moral stance on Percy | | | | Having purchased some of the items at |
| Powell-Cotton's hunting exploits, | | | | auction, Major Powell-Cotton arranged to |
| nothing brings home the reality of the | | | | buy the rest privately. They consist of |
| natural world better than this stunning | | | | European and Chinese export pieces and |
| example of the taxidermist's art. | | | | some of the most prized items are those |
| The collection contains almost every | | | | that were made exclusively for use by |
| African mammal (there are over 5,000 | | | | the Imperial Emperor in the Forbidden |
| additional species behind the scenes), | | | | City. Most of this dates from the Quing |
| including some species that casual | | | | and Minq Dynasties and includes examples |
| visitors would be forgiven for never | | | | of the highly prized and exclusive |
| hearing of, such as Mrs Gray's Lechwe | | | | 'yellow' porcelain reserved for the |
| and Hunter's Hartebeest. No animal in | | | | Emperor's immediate family. |
| the collection is extinct. On the | | | | |