Abstract

 This work analyses the interpretation of two sets of ethnographic miniature models purchased by tea merchant, museum founder, and Member of Parliament Frederick Horniman (1835-1906) during his visit to Burma in 1895. Using a biography of objects approach I demonstrate how these models embodied notions of intellectual control over the peoples of Burma in the late nineteenth century.First,  I argue that market forces drove the creation of miniature models such as these that travellers like Horniman purchased which condensed experience into a form primarily designated for display purposes.Next, I show how the Horniman Free Museum interpreted these objects. Highlighting under-utilized primary sources from the museum I demonstrate how, although the museum stressed providing information on foreign cultures, the interpretation of these objects emphasized notions of British colonial control.Finally, based on theories of miniature objects, I argue that the size of these objects forced viewers to examine them more closely than they would human-scale objects. Consequently, visitors gained a sense of superiority over the peoples these miniature models represented.By reviewing the interpretation of these models at three different points in the late nineteenth century this work presents a model for understanding how late nineteenth-century collectors and museums utilized objects such as tourist art to both construct knowledge and implicitly highlight aspects of colonial control.