Kaiky Muncherjee

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Kaiky Muncherjee (1873-1955) was the patriarch of a notable Aden Parsee family of merchants & ship chandlers, established in 1840. Over the years they developed strong global ties with several world renowned companies and became exclusive suppliers to the French, Italian and Dutch navies.

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Kaiky had a passion for antiques and collected local antiquities and curiosities. He had a "marvellous collection of rare, authentic, genuine, ancient, Hymarites and Sabeans antiques, of ancient Southern Arabia consisting of gold ornaments, silver and bronze coins, marble and alabaster statues, bronze plates, busts with deities heads and monuments and manuscripts and blocks, with bold legible Hymarite and Sebean inscriptions". His unique and extensive collection was housed in his rickety Crescent establishment. 

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He had a standing offer of 'backsheesh' for anyone that would bring him 'antiquities', a practice which could not be relied upon to necessarily ensure the authenticity of artifacts and which resulted in mislabeling of some exhibits. Kaiky's extensive and important collection was ultimately acquired after his death by the Aden government in the early 1960s and housed in the Aden Museum. Kaiky had previously been trying to sell his collection in whole or in part for $100,000.