Judah L. Magnes Museum
Overview
The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and LifeContact Information
2121 Allston WayBerkeley, California 94704
United States
Description
The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life is today one of the world's preeminent Jewish collections in a university setting. A unique "library of objects" affiliated with The Bancroft Library, the primary special collections library at the University of California, Berkeley, the Magnes is distinctively positioned to make Jewish art and material culture available to researchers through an innovative approach to collection access and display. The variety of its holdings and the design of its facilities enhance the university's academic offerings, enabling an unprecedented view of Jewish and host cultures in the global Diaspora. The articulation of the holdings in archives, library and museum collections facilitates access to scholars by integrating different descriptive standards, thus offering a wide-angled perspective on history and culture. The division of the museum collection in the complementary areas of Jewish Art and Jewish Life moves away from established museological and cultural conventions. Traditionally, Jewish museums have attempted to enhance the cultural significance of Jewish material culture and everyday life by defining their product as "art," while addressing the evolving notions of "Jewish Art" through issues of cultural identity rather than historical context. Their collections were known primarily through their "displayable" holdings, thus privileging metalwork, ceramics, and modern art less sensitive to light exposure.