Náprstek Museum, Ethnographic museum in Old Town, Prague, Czech Republic
The Náprstek Museum is an ethnographic museum in Prague's Old Town housed in a historic building near Charles Bridge that contains thousands of artifacts from non-European cultures. The collections span multiple floors and showcase objects from Asia, Africa, and the Americas, including archaeological pieces, traditional crafts, and historical items.
The museum was founded in the 19th century by Vojtěch Náprstek as a private collection that he built over many years. It later became part of the National Museum in Prague where it remains today as a public institution.
The collection displays everyday objects and artistic works from Asia, Africa, and the Americas, showing how people in distant lands lived and created. Walking through the rooms gives you a sense of the craftsmanship and traditions that shaped these different societies.
The museum spaces are spread across multiple floors with some areas requiring stairs and not all sections easily accessible. It helps to check ahead which exhibitions are open and whether tours in your language can be arranged.
The museum's library holds personal journals and notebooks from the founder documenting his travels and encounters with people from distant lands. These writings reveal how a Prague collector of the 19th century discovered and came to understand the wider world.
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