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29. Sloyenske NA-ROdnI Museum, Martin. Costumes de la region dc Tmava, Musćc national de la Slovaquic.

occur when they are handlcd for study purposes (as in the case of lace, old fabrics which have become damaged through the passage of time, etc.). The wide variety of forms and matcrials involved in the case of ethnographical collections means that greater recourse must be had to certain protectivc measurcs than in other sectors of muscum work. Yet dcs-pite the considerable technicaldifficulties, research workers can generally obtain all the scientific and documentary materiał they need as readily as in the case, say, of anyone engaged in literary studies in a well-organized specialized library.

As far as these operational aspects are concerned, the museums work out special-ized internal documentation methods and pcrfcct technicjues ensuring the proper conscrvation and easy handling of objects of all sorts of shapes, sizes and materials.

Indeed, Czechoslovak ethnographical collections comprise delicate hligree objects side by side with massive tools and machines, and fragilc objects of organie origin, such as fabrics, old lace, together with wooden and metal objects. This necessitates a certain degree of specializcd treatment and the systematic cataloguing of all the objects in the museums. The cataloguing is done by means of index cards (with photostat entries in most instances) based on the various critcria governing each case.

This documentation work is supplemented by the parallel work of the museums’ ethnographical libraries, at least two catalogues being prepared—one for authors and the other for subjeets. The ethnographical scction of the Moravian Museum in Brno, which has produced bibliographies covering a considerable scction of the published materiał and reviews dealing with Czech ethnography and folklore, scrves as the centre for bibliographical work on the subject for Bohemia and Moravia generally.

As far as the maintenance and protection of collections is concerned, the museum staffs are now concentrating on devising and trying out new methods of restoring and if necessary of reconstructing objects madę of perishable materials or materials of organie origin and preserving their original freshness of coloration, which, in folk artifacts, often constitutes their dominant plastic feature.

29. Costumes of the Trnava arca, Slovak National Museum.

(Translałedfroni the C^ech.)

jo. Slezske Museum, Opava. Lc costume populaire silesien, Musee de la Silesie.

jo. Silesian folk costumes. Silcsian Museum.

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