Featured sections

This collection has complete sections that can be qualified as exceptional, due to the difficulty of being able to compile a whole compendium of related objects. We can also consider an individual object to be outstanding, either because of what it represents or because of its rarity within a group of items in the same category.

Of the outstanding sections, reference should be made to those that make up the following displays:

• Water: This exhibit showcases mechanisms used for domestic water extraction in Campos, featuring its characteristic buckets and troughs, which are increasingly rare and difficult to find.
• The blood mill for making flour. This is a very damaged and scattered heritage, and in many cases, when they were dismantled, their parts, especially the smaller ones, were scattered, and nowadays there are few that are preserved complete. Apart from this, the type of mill in this exhibition belongs to the variety that has the wheel with the combs on the upper part, whereas most have them on the lower part.
• The rough carpenter. This trade disappeared many years ago due to the appearance of iron elements, such as gears, which replaced many of the tasks carried out by these craftsmen. Innovations also emerged, rendering some of the complete elements once crafted by carpenters, such as waterwheels and mills, no longer necessary. There was a minimal survival of the trade, which was almost exclusively dedicated to making handles for tools, but this did not serve to preserve the rich history of the techniques, tools and terminology used.
• The locksmith. This profession became obsolete in Mallorca in the second half of the 19th century due to the importation of locks, hinges, and firearms, as well as the introduction of the metric system, which eliminated the need for locally made Roman balance scales and weights. It remains one of the least studied traditional trades on the island.
• The cutler. Although the trade still survives in some Mallorcan towns, the ability to gather a complete set of traditional tools, as well as the elements they manufactured—especially the collection of identifying marks that cutlers engraved on knives—makes this section particularly significant.
• The carved jugs. There may be more important collections, both qualitatively and quantitatively, but this one has the peculiarity of showing the moulds that were used to make them, which makes it exceptional.
• The shops. Both the 19th and 20th century shops make a very interesting collection, considering that most of the exhibited objects are unused and originally belonged to authentic businesses.
• The chandlery. This is perhaps one of the most interesting sections from an ethnographic perspective within the trades section of the exhibition. Both for its historical value, as it was part of a centuries-old pottery factory in Palma, and for the heritage value of the tools and utensils used to make the candles.
• Weights and measures. The section corresponding to the objects used to measure the traditional Mallorcan system deserves a special place in the exhibition, both for its didactic use and for its link to Mallorcan culture. It is a compendium of objects that are highly valued by collectors, but at the same time it is very difficult to view them together in an orderly fashion. This section was, many years ago, the beginning of the entire collection that can be seen in this ethnographic exhibition.
• The kitchen. Nowadays, many original kitchens such as the one reproduced in this building are still preserved in Mallorca, but it is very difficult to find them equipped with all the original objects that allowed them to function, without them being distorted by objects of modern origin.
• The bedrooms. This is a small sample of one of the parts of the Mallorcan house with a collection of furniture. What makes this section particularly interesting is the arrangement of bed linens and the inclusion of small complementary objects that offer a glimpse into daily life.
• Clothing. Exhibitions of Mallorcan attire are frequently held in Mallorca, and it is true that many collectors and families possess more diverse and perhaps even more interesting pieces than those displayed here. However, what you will find in this section is not always accessible to the general public in a permanent way and serves as an educational resource.
• The music. The collection, which has not yet been restored, is a sample of the set of elements necessary to play the tunes typical of Mallorcan musical culture. Made by Mallorcan luthiers and craftsmen – except for the violin – this exhibit offers a fascinating look into the island’s musical heritage.