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Excerpt from Collections of Objects of Religious Ceremonial in the United States National Museum The Board Of Regents Of the Smithsonian Institution in 1847 laid out a comprehensive program in all the departments Of human knowl edge and endeavor capable Of representation by collections. They included in the ethnological section religions as one of the subjects suitable for museum collections. During the course Of years Objects pertaining to religious cults formed a considerable part Of the series. In exhibiting its material the Museum adopted the plan Of treating special subjects independently Of areas or national limitations in order to show the history Of given ideas. In 1890 the question was taken up Of the possibility Of applying such treatment to religion, a subject important in the history Of humanity. There was doubt, however, in the minds Of many as to whether the abstract ideas which group themselves about the word religion could be adequately or even fairly portrayed through ceremonial Objects, numerous as they might be. Two members Of the staff were instructed, while abroad, to examine into this subject, with the result that, in 1891, it was decided to secure Objects Of religious ceremony with the view primarily to exhibit them at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, and ultimately with the intention Of bringing them together for installation in the United States National Museum. At that time the tendency Of museums abroad, and somewhat among the students of the history Of religions generally, was to deal only with the religious practices and ideas Of the barbarous nations, and to treat but sparingly those of the more civilized and cultivated nations Of the earth. It was determined, in taking up the subject here, to adopt a course contrary to that hitherto followed, and to endeavor, from the educational point Of view, to interest the people in the history Of religion by leading them to the unknown. As it were. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

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