Exhibits in Minutes: Stories from our UQ Museums

Whether you visit our museums in person, or virtually, we are committed to bringing the best of the RD Milns Antiquities Museum, UQ Anthropology Museum and UQ Art Museum to you.

RD Milns Antiquities Museum

Statue head of the goddess Aphrodite

In this video, Dr Amelia Brown presents one of her favourite pieces in the RD Milns Antiquities Museum, a statue head of the goddess Aphrodite. Dr Brown explains the unique ways that Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty, appears in statues throughout the Ancient Mediterranean and what our piece tells us about the Greek and Roman world.

4th century BC Greek amphora vase

James Donaldson, Manager and Curator of the RD Milns Antiquities Museum, discusses a well-preserved 4th century BC Greek amphora vase depicting a woman farewelling a deceased warrior. The piece showcases how the Greeks of Southern Italy decorated their vases and for what purpose.

Phoenician terra cotta oil lamp

RD Milns Antiquities Museum Manager and Curator James Donaldson describes a Phoenician terra cotta oil lamp from Malta. This small item tells an incredible story, both in how it was first made and the many hands it passed through during its 2,300-year journey to The University of Queensland.

Ancient World Study Tour and Hydria

Every two years during summer semester, Dr Amelia Brown and a group of students visit over 50 different sites, museums, and monuments all across Greece, following in the footsteps of the Roman travel writer Pausanias as part of UQ's Ancient World Study Tour. Whilst a trip to Greece isn’t possible right now, Dr Brown shows us a little ‘Hydria’ which was made in Athens in the Classical era in the early 4th century BC.

Gravestone of 5th century Athenian woman

Dr Amelia Brown tells us about Theophile, a woman from Athens, through the evidence of her well-preserved gravestone. Dr Brown shares what the location, images and epitaph on her gravestone tell us about Theophile as a person and the society in which she lived. She also details how the artefact came from Athens to UQ and how it is used by students and the community.

Greek terracotta figurines of boars

In this video, James Donaldson shows us two Greek terracotta figurines of boars, dating to the 5th century BC. They were purchased as a pair at auction in London in 1969, and are a great example of artefacts that can speak to so many aspects of ancient life. 

Alabastron and Glassmaking in the Ancient World

Manager of the RD Milns Antiquities Museum James Donaldson profiles an alabastron from the 2nd or 1st century BC, a uniquely crafted vessel for perfumes and scented oils.

He explains how this vessel helps tell the story of glassmaking technology in the Ancient Mediterranean - its evolution, its role in society and the stories that surround it.

 

RD Milns Antiquities Museum Fund

Associate Professor Dorothy Watts AM discusses the legacy of philanthropic impact at the RD Milns Antiquities Museum through donated Etruscan vases that have shaped our understanding of the Ancient World.

To support the RD Milns Antiquities Museum, visit: bit.ly/Antiquities-Museum

UQ Anthropology Museum

‘Captain’ Arnold Weinholdt

In this video, Jane Willcock details the incredible life of ‘Captain’ Arnold Weinholdt, whose collection of spears became part of the founding UQ Anthropology collection.

 

Blue eyed lady

Camella Hardjo, Museum Registrar at the UQ Anthropology Museum, shares one of her favourite pieces in the collection- a carved figure of a woman from the Solomon Islands. This piece’s stark blue eyes and unanswered questions makes it a source of ongoing fascination for our staff.

Wiramus

Jane Willcock, Senior Registrar and Operations Coordinator at the UQ Anthropology Museum, describes a Wiramus/Malagan figure from New Ireland in Papua New Guinea. The UQ Anthropology Museum has brought together experts to broaden our understanding of this piece's social, cultural, and religious significance.

Souvenir Snakes and Prisoners of War

UQ postgraduate students Rosanna Virzi and Juliet Bucknell discuss a beadwork snake made by Turkish prisoners of war in World War One, then sold as a souvenir to opposing soldiers and nurses. The detail and crafting of this “Trench Art” piece tells a story of struggle, humanity and identity under the harsh conditions of POW camps.

To support the UQ Anthropology Museum, please visit: bit.ly/Anthropology-Museum 

UQ Art Museum

 

I shall be released

Isabella Baker, Curatorial Assistant at UQ Art Museum, shares one of her favourite artworks in The University’s Art Collection - a painting by Australian artist Anne Wallace titled ‘I shall be released.’ She draws our attention to small but significant details in the painting, which appear as clues to a neighbourhood whodunit.

To support the UQ Art Museum, please visit: bit.ly/UQ-Art-Museum