Mapuche Jewellery Collection in the Náprstek Museum

In addition to larger collections of Mapuche artifacts acquired during the prolonged stays of Milan Stuchlík (1932–1980) and Vaclav Šolc (1919–1995) in Araucania, Chile, during the 1960s and 1970s, the Náprstek Museum also houses two smaller collections of Mapuche jewellery. The first four jewels were purchased from Eduard Tauer in 1896 and two more pieces were acquired in 2024 from the estate of diplomat Stanislav Svoboda (1926–2015). This article serves as the first introduction to the Mapuche jewellery collection originating from these two collectors. It examines the use, age, and material composition of the artifacts and the collectors responsible for the acquisitions and compares this collection with the Mapuche jewellery collection in the Weltmuseum Vienna. Furthermore, the article outlines potential avenues for further research.