Brazilian Police Museum's Afro-Brazilian Sacred Collection Transferred After Century, Blocked by Evangelical Official
From 1891 to 1946, over 500 sacred artifacts linked to Afro-Brazilian faiths were confiscated by police in Rio de Janeiro amid the crackdown on Candomblé and Umbanda. Referred to as the 'Black Magic Collection,' these items remained at the Museu da Polícia Civil until July 2022, when they were transferred to the Museu da República after being donated to the Instituto Brasileiro de Museus (Ibram). This transition followed efforts by ialorixá Mãe Menininha de Oxum that began in 2018. Nonetheless, Ibram received an unexpected directive from Tassos Lycurgo, the Director of Iphan, to suspend the collection's documentation, raising alarms about potential authoritarianism and censorship in Brazil's cultural landscape, especially concerning recent modifications to the Prêmio Rodrigo Melo de Andrade Franco award.
Key facts
- Over 500 sacred Afro-Brazilian objects were seized by Rio police between 1891 and 1946.
- The collection was held for a century at the Museu da Polícia Civil do Estado do Rio de Janeiro.
- In July of last year, 519 pieces were donated to Ibram and transferred to the Museu da República.
- The transfer resulted from a struggle led by ialorixá Mãe Menininha de Oxum starting in 2018.
- Preparation for public exhibition was halted by an order from Iphan Director Tassos Lycurgo.
- Tassos Lycurgo is a pastor and Christian extremist who directs the SNPC.
- Reserve Army Colonel Paulo Guilherme Ribeiro Fernandes was appointed to a key role at Ibram in June.
- The 2021 edition of the Prêmio Rodrigo Melo de Andrade Franco heritage award was substantially altered.
Entities
Artists
- Mãe Menininha de Oxum
- Tassos Lycurgo
- Marcia Sant’Anna
- Paulo Guilherme Ribeiro Fernandes
- Eduardo Pazuello
- Rodrigo Melo de Andrade Franco
Institutions
- Instituto Brasileiro de Museus (Ibram)
- Museu da República
- Museu da Polícia Civil do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
- Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico Nacional (Iphan)
- Sistema Nacional de Patrimônio Cultural (SNPC)
- Ministério da Defesa da Fé
- Ministério da Saúde
- Ministério da Economia
- Agência Nacional de Saúde (Anvisa)
- Ancine
- Fundação Casa de Rui Barbosa
- Fundação Cultural Palmares
- Secretaria Especial de Cultura
- Ministério do Turismo
- Prêmio Rodrigo Melo de Andrade Franco
Locations
- Rio de Janeiro
- Brazil
- Natal
- Rio Grande do Norte (RN)
- Bahia
- Manaus
- Amazonas
- São Paulo