Until the end of the 19th century, the Mapuche people inhabited the south-central and southwestern areas of the territories that today make up the states of Chile and Argentina, respectively. Although there is a significant number of people who live in their ancestral territory, due to the colonial situation that arose after the occupation by these states, there was a forced displacement of the population  – the mapuche diaspora – which can be found in different regions of these countries. The artistic or handcrafted material production of the Mapuche people is deployed in different materialities, such as silverware, vegetable carving, saddlery, pottery, basketry or textiles. The museum’s  Mapuche Collection contains pieces that were crafted from the late nineteenth century to the present within the borders of the Chilean State. An important part of this group was acquired through the purchase of Pedro Doyharcabal’s collection by the Universidad de Chile in 1946, which included a diversity of materials. Later donations and purchases from contemporary Mapuche artisans and artists were added to this collection.