Matti Kuusi Collection

M6 is an extensive special collection of proverb literature compiled by academician Matti Kuusi.

Matti Kuusi (1914−1998), an academician and professor of folkloristics, collected an extensive library of international proverb literature between 1954 and 1988. He donated his collection to SKS in 1987.

The M6 Collection consists of research literature and source publications. It includes Finnish and international classics, seminal works and rarities from around the world. In its diversity, the special collection reflects Matti Kuusi’s internationally recognised status as a key figure in paremiology.

The collection is located on the entrance floor of the library. The items are available for reading room use only.

Matti Kuusi (1914−1998) has described the origins of his collection. He began collecting proverb literature as a student in the early 1950s. He was inspired by the home library of his teacher Martti Haavio and by the proverb research of American folklorist Archer Taylor. Kuusi recalled in 1988 that his hobby had “the feeling of a stamp collection from childhood”.

The collection grew throughout his academic career as he acquired correspondence partners from around the world.

The collection expanded significantly between 1965 and 1975, a period during which Matti Kuusi and Archer Taylor published the journal Proverbium. The SKS Library managed the distribution of the journal as part of its exchange activities. The requirement for a subscription was that the subscriber had to send information about proverb research in their own country to the journal’s editorial office. Publishers and individuals interested in the journal could also send books in exchange for their subscription, some of which Kuusi added to his personal collection and others were donated to the SKS Library.