Inside the Collection

Arts

An ornate artwork in silver and white hangs on a black wall. It is in the form of a large symmetrically designed earring formed from silvery coral-like branches set with tear-shaped white glass pendants that look like pearls.

Introducing the Barry Willoughby Bequest for glass and ceramics

November 21, 2018

Eva Czernis-Ryl
Bequests have played a major part in the development of the Museum’s collection and have provided us with some of our most important and best-loved objects. Last year MAAS received a particularly generous bequest of objects and funds from Barry John Willoughby, a passionate Sydney collector of decorative arts.
Plinth with 4 female mannequins and 2 male mannequins wearing a mixture of casual and formal clothing.

Slow fashion and upcycling – an interview with Rachael Cassar

October 31, 2018

Alysha Buss
Concerns about the harmful impact of the global fashion industry on the environment and worker exploitation, particularly in the case of low priced, low quality fast fashion, has prompted the exploration of alternative ways to source materials and produce garments.

Donating to the MAAS collection

October 24, 2018

Tilly Boleyn
Ever wondered how to donate to a museum? Curator Tilly Boleyn reveals what to consider before you get in touch. Spring is a busy time. Flowers are blooming, lambs are frolicking and people are clearing out their sheds thinking, “I wonder if I should donate this to a museum?”.
Wooden toy farm house, windmill, wishing well, duck pond and outside toilet with lead farm animals and farmer.

Present and Past Family Life – Toilets

July 18, 2018

Margaret Simpson
Lav, privy, loo, thunderbox, WC, outhouse, toot, throne, restroom, powder room, washroom, john, kharsi, bog, comfort station, and even twinkle-palace, are just some of the euphemisms used for toilets.
Contents of dressmaking kit, including box, fabric, embroidered inserts, fashion illustration, contents list and washing instructions.

Paris fashions and ‘Lady Overlanders’

June 20, 2018

Alysha Buss
What were you to do if you were a woman living in a country town during the 1920s and dreamed of wearing the latest fashions from Paris? This dressmaking kit, which came to the donor from a house in Warwick, Queensland, speaks of the wide influence of Paris fashions and the audacious ‘lady overlanders’ who traversed the country showing samples and taking orders for the Swiss embroidery business, Sonderegger & Co.
Photograph of Seventeen Smurf figurines on display

Smurftastic!

June 12, 2018

Chloe Appleby
Instantly recognisable for their distinct appearance of blue skin, white clothing and a small stature, Smurfs are a cherished worldwide children's franchise that began in Belgium in the late-1950s.
Photograph of musician Grace Chan playing the portative organ, alongside The lady and the unicorn tapestries at the Art Gallery of NSW.

MAAS outgoing loans program: portative organ

April 4, 2018

Lucy Clark
A recent loan to the Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW) highlights our commitment to providing access to the collection in new and varied ways. The Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (MAAS) has an active outgoing loans program, through which the diverse collection is made accessible to audiences across Australia and the world.
Wedding dress of nylon, lace and seed pearls, made by Bonwit Teller

Love is… Highlights from the MAAS wedding dress collection

February 13, 2018

Glynis Jones
Marriage has been practiced in myriad forms across time and communities. It has no universal model and is in a frequent state of flux as it adjusts and responds to the changing political, economic and social milieu.
Nef, ship-shaped table ornament

Viennese Nef c 1880

December 20, 2017

Eva Czernis-Ryl
In preparation for the display of this intriguing copper-and-silver nef, one of the Museum’s late 19th century Viennese ornaments, our conservators located previously hidden maker’s marks which prompted renewed attention to the object’s origin, design and function.
Fashion shoot in front of Sydney Opera House

Faith Fashion Fusion: Muslim Women’s Style in Australia

December 7, 2017

Glynis Jones
Project Manager Kate Ford and Curator Glynis Jones recently installed Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (MAAS) travelling exhibition Faith Fashion Fusion: Muslim Women’s Style in Australia at the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia (IAMM) in Kuala Lumpur.
Kate Rohde Animal bespoke digital wallpaper

New Acquisitions: Kate Rohde’s Deer Vase and bespoke wallpaper

November 7, 2017

Katie Dyer
The artworks of Melbourne-based artist and designer Kate Rohde are recognisable for their exuberant embrace of form and pattern. Baroque in style, highly ornate and vibrating with colour, the works claim a unique position in contemporary Australian design.