Francesca Bigoni, Fausto Barbagli, Fabio Di Vincenzo

The colonial face casts of Nello Puccioni: an emblematic case from Italy's fascist period

Introduction

The colonial face casts of nello puccioni: an emblematic case from italy's fascist period. Explore Nello Puccioni's colonial face casts from fascist Italy, taken in Somalia & Libya. This study decolonizes the Florentine Museum's sensitive anthropological collection.

Abstract

This article focuses, for the first time, on an in depth and systematic study of the face casts production of the Florentine anthropologist Nello Puccioni. The face casts are housed at the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnology of the University of Florence. Puccioni took the face casts in the course of his expeditions to Somalia (1924 and 1935) and Libya (1928 and 1929) during the Italian colonial occupation in Africa. This collection represents an emblematic case study of sensitive artefacts created, displayed and disseminated during fascism. This research represents an essential step in the well-needed process of decolonization of the Florentine museum and its contents.

Review

This article presents a highly relevant and timely examination of Nello Puccioni's colonial face cast collection, a hitherto understudied but deeply significant archive housed at the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnology of the University of Florence. The abstract promises the first in-depth and systematic study of these artifacts, which were created during Puccioni's expeditions to Somalia and Libya amidst Italian colonial occupation. This initial assessment suggests the paper will make a crucial contribution to understanding the material culture of Italian fascism and its entanglement with anthropological practice. A significant strength of this proposed research lies in its focus on an "emblematic case study" that illuminates the production, display, and dissemination of "sensitive artefacts" during a contentious period of history. By centering on Puccioni's casts, the article is poised to provide concrete examples of how ethnographic collections were instrumentalized to support colonial and fascist ideologies. This specific focus on the Florentine museum and its holdings offers a grounded perspective, demonstrating how particular institutional histories are intertwined with broader national narratives of empire and scientific racism, thereby enriching the scholarly discourse on museology and decolonization efforts. The stated aim of contributing to the "well-needed process of decolonization of the Florentine museum and its contents" positions this article as more than just a historical analysis; it is an active intervention in contemporary debates surrounding heritage ethics and institutional accountability. The implications of this study extend beyond Florence, offering valuable insights for other museums grappling with their colonial legacies and the challenging task of re-evaluating problematic collections. This research, therefore, appears vital for advancing both historical understanding of Italian colonial anthropology and for informing current best practices in museum deaccessioning, reinterpretation, and the broader decolonial turn in heritage studies.

Full Text

Comments

You need to be logged in to post a comment.