The collection of Nik Rashiddin Nik Hussein: a curatorial perspective

Abstract

From the late 1970's until his passing Nik Rashidin Nik Hussein compiled a collection of hundreds of antiques and works of art - principally carvings in wood and other materials, as well as assorted other items of Malay material culture. Accumulated over the course' of nearly three decades, the collection has evolved through a number of processes and continues to do so. Shaped by the times in which it was made and assembled for purposes which were somewhat distinctive from what might be regarded as strictly traditional, the collection was initially at least not regarded by its collector as constituting a legacy. It was only late,in his career that Nik Rashidin began to see the potential of the collection beyond his own uses for it. Its possibilities for display in exhibitions and as a resource and reference to future generation were not principle concerns initially and this has profound consequences for the collection today.