Swiss-Mongolian Connections
The Museum der Kulturen in Basel was fortunate enough to receive a remarkable donation of Mongolian objects from Magdalena Ernst. These objects were collected by her husband, Richard Ernst, and are probably one of the largest collections of Mongolian Art in Europe. For this reason, the Mongolian Embassy visited the Museum and shared a look at all these objects.
The collector Richard R. Ernst
The Swiss chemist Richard R. Ernst, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1991, was also an enthusiastic admirer of Tibetan and Mongolian art. During one of his travels in Nepal with his wife, Magdalena, in 1968, he discovered Tibetan art, and his passion for it endured until he died in 2022.
Traditional Tibetan-Mongolian medical instruments: These kinds of objects are rare in Western collections
Especially during his last years, he developed a special interest in Mongolian culture and art and started to acquire and collect almost entirely traditional Mongolian art pieces. Richard Ernst was not only a collector but also well-connected within the scientific and art worlds and was highly regarded and renowned as an expert on Tibetan and Mongolian art, even in political circles.
Visit of the ambassador
Richard Ernst visited Mongolia on several occasions and was well-known for his passion for Mongolian art and culture. To continue this legacy, the Department of South-, East-, and Central Asia, with head curator Stephanie Lovász and coworkers Michaela Wisler, Santoš Smiřický, and Yuuki Koller, met with H.E. Gerelmaa Davaasuren, Ambassador of Mongolia in Switzerland, and Bilguun Balkhjav, Third Secretary of Permanent Mission of Mongolia to Switzerland.
H.E. Gerelmaa Davaasuren, Ambassador of Mongolia to the Swiss Confederation, admires some of the paintings from the Ernst collection; in the background is Bilguun Balkhjav, Third Secretary
The gathering took place in the storage spaces. Both embassy visitors were very impressed by the vast collection, which is in excellent condition, and includes several objects of great value to them and Mongolia, such as traditional medical instruments that were highly used in Mongolia.
The Tsakli, small ritual cards, are one of the highlights of the collection
Discussions about future projects
As the Mongolian state and the newly established Ministry of Culture are very interested in preserving and promoting Mongolian culture and cultural heritage worldwide, discussions about possible future partnerships were part of our meeting. All employees of the department were invited to visit the embassy or even Mongolia.
H.E. Gerelmaa Davaasuren presents a gift to the museum: a stamp created to commemorate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Switzerland and Mongolia, highlighting the connections between the two cultures
Our department would be delighted to welcome art researchers from Mongolia who are interested in studying our collection. Hopefully, future projects will follow.