The MK&G collection ranges from antiquity to the present day. Spread over three storeys on an area roughly the size of a football field, the multifaceted collection covers various cultural regions and many different epochs. What is on display in the museum is only a fraction of the actual holdings. On the website, you can discover a selection of around 26,000 of the more than 600,000 objects in the collection. The data is constantly updated so that the number of objects available online is constantly growing. To explain how this process works and what you need to bear in mind when browsing the collection, we have put together some questions and answers.

Are all the objects accessible online?
No, most of them are not, because the MK&G's entire collection of over 600,000 objects is only gradually being digitised. This is done retrospectively, but all new acquisitions and donations are also catalogued as soon as possible in accordance with certain guidelines and museum standards. We currently have over 200,000 objects documented in the database. Nevertheless, not all sub-collections are represented equally, as the corresponding rights of use are not always available. Obtaining these rights is a time-consuming process in which the rights holders must be asked for their permission to show the image of the object online.

How does the digitisation of objects and their information work?
Many steps are necessary for an object to be presented online. These happen in very different places in the museum and many people work together to achieve this. Filmmaker Dellair Youssef accompanied the curator and head of the East Asian and Islamic Art collections, Wibke Schrape, and the digital inventory team in their work with objects. The film offers insights behind the scenes of the MK&G.

What information can I find about the objects?
The first step is to provide basic information about the objects in the collection, such as the object type, its material and the technique used to make it, as well as the author and the date of creation, as well as an image of the object. We are continuously working on making more information about the collection items available. Please note that the data may nevertheless be incomplete or incorrect and may contain outdated or discriminatory language. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions about the objects, please do not hesitate to contact us.

What can I do with the images and data?
All object images labelled "Public Domain" are in the public domain and are freely available for download. They can be used privately, scientifically, creatively and commercially. Further information on usage can be found here. The MK&G Studio provides great DIY ideas for creative reuse.

What needs to be considered regarding the object information?
As information and metadata on objects are always researched and added by people, we also adopt our assumptions and imprecisions when recording the objects. Eurocentric historical classification practices also influence the presentation of object information.

How does the MK&G deal with sensitive content?
The collection contains objects with sensitive content. As the latest studies have shown that negative reactions remain unchanged or are even intensified by trigger warnings, we refrain from using them.