On 26 June 2026, Comendador Anthony Bailey, Hon Consul-General of His Majesty The King of Tonga to the Portuguese Republic, paid a courtesy visit to the National Museum of Ethnology in Lisbon.
The Hon. Consul-General was warmly welcomed by the Museum’s Director, Dr Gonçalo Amaro, who kindly guided him through the Museum’s extensive exhibition galleries and introduced him to many of its internationally renowned collections. The visit provided an excellent opportunity to gain a first-hand appreciation of one of Portugal’s foremost museums dedicated to preserving, researching and interpreting the cultures of the world.
Founded in 1965, the National Museum of Ethnology is recognised as one of Europe’s leading ethnographic museums. Its collections comprise more than 42,000 objects representing over 380 cultures from 81 countries across five continents. Through its exhibitions, research, conservation and educational programmes, the Museum plays a vital role in promoting a deeper understanding of the world’s extraordinary cultural diversity.
During the visit, the Hon. Consul-General toured both the Museum’s permanent collections and its temporary exhibitions, including Deconstructing Colonialism, Decolonising the Imaginary: Portuguese Colonialism in Africa – Myths and Realities, which explores the legacy of Portuguese colonialism and the provenance of ethnographic collections, and Fintar a Vida: Caniço, Futebol e o Estado Novo (“Dribbling Life: Caniço, Football and the Estado Novo“), an innovative exhibition examining the relationship between football, society and colonial history in Mozambique. Together, the exhibitions demonstrate the Museum’s commitment to encouraging reflection on history, identity and cultural heritage through fresh and engaging perspectives.
Particular attention was given to opportunities for strengthening cultural links between the Museum and the Kingdom of Tonga. Discussions explored ways in which the unique history, traditions and cultural heritage of Tonga, together with the wider Pacific and Oceania, might be presented to broader Portuguese audiences through future collaboration, exhibitions, educational initiatives and public engagement.
As the only never-colonised country in the Pacific and one of the region’s oldest continuous monarchies, Tonga possesses a unique cultural heritage which remains relatively little known in Portugal. The Hon. Consul-General expressed his hope that closer cooperation with the National Museum of Ethnology would help promote a greater appreciation of Tonga and the wider Pacific, strengthening cultural understanding between Portugal and Oceania.
Following the visit, the Hon. Consul-General said:
“It was a great pleasure and privilege to visit this remarkable museum and to experience first-hand the exceptional work being undertaken by its dedicated team led by Dr Gonçalo Amaro. I was deeply impressed by the richness of its collections and by the Museum’s commitment to preserving and sharing the cultural heritage of peoples from across the world. I believe there is a natural synergy between the Museum’s mission and our own desire to raise greater awareness in Portugal of the Kingdom of Tonga, the South Pacific and Oceania. I very much look forward to continuing our discussions and exploring opportunities for future collaboration, enabling more Portuguese people to discover the rich cultures, traditions and history of our region.”
Museum website: https://museudeetnologia.pt
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