'Malacca Village, Nancowry Harbour, Nicobar Islands'. Photograph by E H Man. © Royal Pavilion, Libraries & Museums

Brighton Museum & Art Gallery holds approximately 75 objects and 75 photographs relating to life on the Nicobar Islands. The objects include spears for hunting and fishing, paddles, domestic items and ceremonial carvings. Most were collected by Edward Horace Man, Richard Carnac Temple and Katherine S Tuson, all of whom, at different times, formed part of the Islands' colonial population. The photographs were taken by Man who, in addition to his colonial duties, was a passionate amateur anthropologist.

The Nicobar Islands are separated from the Andaman Islands by the Ten Degree Channel. The four main islands are called Great Nicobar, Car Nicobar, Kamorta and Nancowry. Today, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands form a Union Territory and are both governed by India. Historically and culturally, however, the two groups of islands are very different.

The two largest indigenous groups living on the Nicobar Islands are the Nicobari and the Shompen. They are thought to have originally come from different areas of Southeast Asia and now live on different areas of the islands. Hinduism and Christianity are now the dominant religions on the Islands, but the indigenous belief systems reflected in some of these objects continue to be practised.

On both the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, agriculture is now the main industry. Common crops include cereals, coconuts, chillies and turmeric. The Islands were hard hit by the devastating 2004 tsunami, and relief and reconstruction work form part of island life today.