The State Ethnographical Museum, Poland

The State Ethnographic Museum in Warsaw established in 1888, is the largest institution of its kind in Poland. It boasts the largest collection of ethnographic exhibits and archival records in the country, amounting to around 78,000 objects and over 170,000 various archival materials. Only a small part of the museum collection can be shown in permanent exhibitions at the museum. Aside from exhibitions, the museum has an effective role in scientific publishing, research and promotional activities regarding culture. Please note that the museum galleries are at present closed for major reconstruction.  The Asian collection consists of over 4000 items. Among the most valuable are: Japanese wooden weapons, samurai swords, 17th-19th century weaponry, military items from India, Indonesia and the Middle East. Some of the most interesting collections are costumes from China, Korea, Japan, India and a set of Armenian metal dishes from Iran. Thank to co-operation with scientific and travel expeditions, the museum has been able to acquire an interesting collection from Afghanistan. Photography courtesy of Wikipedia