It is only in Germany that having the surname Muller is the same as having no surname at all. But in Switzerland this name is famous: the descendants of the Muller family of collectors still continue to add to one of the richest collections of the museum of pre-Columbian art. However, this collection is better known as the Barbier-Mueller Museum, named after its founders.
The first Josef Muller spent a long time painstakingly assembling a private collection, and in 1935 in New York he held his first exhibition. All of its exhibits belonged to European collectors and were later purchased by the museum. Among them is a Gabonese mask that belonged to the famous poet Tristan Tzara. Among the rare exhibits are a statuette of the fire god Huehueteotl, Olmec ceramics decorated with shells, a jade mask of the Maya tribes, and an Olmec head that can be seen in the museum's inner courtyard.
Muller's son-in-law, Barbier, continued his father-in-law's passion and can rightfully be considered the co-founder of the famous museum.
In the historic center of Geneva, where this collection is located, you can become acquainted not only with the culture of the Maya, Aztecs, Incas, and other famous civilizations, but also with ancient household items of the Nazca, Moche, Chavin, Paracas, Teotihuacan, Zapotecs, and Olmecs. This collection even includes exhibits that are more than 4 thousand years old! In total, the museum presents 7 thousand ritual and household objects, weapons, textiles, and works of art from the countries of Asia, Africa, and Oceania.
