Sarawak Museum Ethnology Hall

Sarawak Museum Ethnology Hall
The original building of the Sarawak Museum, housing the ethnology exhibits.

The imposing main bulding of the Sarawak Museum houses the main ethnology exhibits, as well as part of the natural history collection. The original structure was built in 1891 on the orders of the "White Rajah" Charles Brooke, and was always intended as a showcase for local arts and handicrafts. The design was based on that of the Normandy town hall in France.

One wing of the lower floor displays some of the natural history exhibits (that haven't been moved to the Natural History Museum) while the other wing displays some historical artifacts of the state, such as mining tools.

The upper floor is the real show-stopper. The architecture itself is quite stunning, with high ceilings and carved plaster decorations above and between arches. The exhibits themselves are quite interesting, as they attempt to interpret the cultures of the many ethnic tribes of Sarawak. They even include a full-size mock-up of an Dayak house that you can walk through.