Rapa Nui Journal: Journal of the Easter Island Foundation Volume 18 Article 8 Issue 2 October

2004 Images of the Marquesas from the Krusenstern Expedition Carol S. Ivory Washington State University

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Recommended Citation Ivory, Carol S. (2004) "Images of the Marquesas from the Krusenstern Expedition," Rapa Nui Journal: Journal of the Easter Island Foundation: Vol. 18 : Iss. 2 , Article 8. Available at: https://kahualike.manoa.hawaii.edu/rnj/vol18/iss2/8

This Research Paper is brought to you for free and open access by the University of Hawai`i Press at Kahualike. It has been accepted for inclusion in Rapa Nui Journal: Journal of the Easter Island Foundation by an authorized editor of Kahualike. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Ivory: Images of the Marquesas Images of the Marquesas from the tain Adam John von Krusenstern, the expedition spent ten 1 days exploring the southern coast of the island. It was the Krusenstem Expedition, 1804 rust Russian circumnavigation, and one of its many goals was to collect scientific data (Bernhardi 1856:19-24). Carol S. Ivory The ship's company included two astute and observant Washington State University captains: Krusenstern himself, and Captain Urey Lisiansky; three scientists: German naturalists G. H. von Langsdorff and W. G. Tilesius von Tilenau, and Swiss astronomer, Hofrat he first Polynesian islands encountered by Europeans Horner; and, to record the scene, an unnamed draftsman from were the Marquesas Islands, Te Henua 'Enana. This oc­ T the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. Tilesius, a medical doc­ curred in 1595 when Alvaro de Mendafia, sailing under the tor from Leipzig, was also, serendipitously, a fine artist. patronage of the Viceroy of Peru, sighted Fatuiva, the south­ They were assisted in their work by two rival beachcombers, ernmost island of the archipelago. Since this initial meeting, both of whom had lived in Te Henua 'Enana for some six visitors have tried to capture in both words and graphic im­ years: Edward Robarts, a 25 year old deserter from a British ages, the fierce beauty of both Te Henua, the land, and Te whaler and Jean Cabri, a young Frenchman. 'Enana, the people. When they returned to Europe, Krusenstern, Lisiansky One group of illustrations has captured the imagination and Langsdorff published their journals in numerous editions of both Hao'e, non-Marquesans, and today, 'Enana them­ and languages. Lisansky published in Russian (1812) and selves. These are the engravings published in the journals English (1814), Langsdorff in German (1812), two different from an early nineteenth century Russian expedition to the editions in English (1813-14, 1817), and in Dutch (1818-19). Pacific, the Krusenstern expedition. No other images of the Between 1809 and 1821, the Krusenstern journal saw eight Marquesas have been reproduced more frequently, with or editions: Russian (1809), two in German (1810-14, 1811-12), without modification, than these. They are an especially rich Dutch (1811-15), Swedish (1811-12), English (1813), Italian source of information about Marquesan life at the very be­ (1818) and French (1821), in addition to a separate Atlas ginning of the nineteenth century, and several ar:nong them, (1813). Included among these various editions were a total of in particular, have continued to resonate through tIme. some 30 engravings from the Marquesas of maps, birds, This article places these illustrations within the context landscapes, artifacts, and people (see the list at the end of this of others from the same historical period, and then traces article). All of the engravings in the Atlas, and many of the their usage both outside and inside Te Henua 'Enana in the others, were originally sketched by Tilesius (Langsdorff nearly two hundred years since. It will look at how both Mar­ 1813:xi). quesans and non-Marquesans have used, reworked and re­ Somewhat ironically, given their later history, not eve­ contextualized the images and will explore some reasons that ryone at the time appreciated these engravings. Richard Bel­ might explain their continued popularity. . grave Hoppner, the Briton who translated Krusenstern's jour­ Though the Marquesas were known to Europeans SlTIce nal into English, closes his preface by stating that he had not 1595, only five images from the Marquesas had been pub­ deemed it important to hold up publication of the journal to lished before the Krusenstern journals began to be appear in include the plates because, "...from the indifferent manner 1809. Since the Mendafia expedition account was not illus­ in which they are executed, and the very little information trated (Quiros 1904), the first visual images of the Marque­ which they convey, the book has suffered no defect from the sans are from their second encounter with Europeans, nearly want of them" (Krusenstern 1813:vii). 180 years later during the second circumnavigation of the After the Krusenstern journals, other accounts were British naval captain, James Cook. This was in April 1774 published that included original illustrations, but the later when Cook and his crew stopped at Vaitahu bay on Tahuata accounts had few images, or were not as widely disseminated island. The expeditio.n included William Hodges, a neo­ as the Russian expedition's had been. The most important of classical landscape painter. these were by David Porter (1815, 1822), Charles Stewart Four of his nine original works (Joppien and Smith (1831), Jules Dumont d'Urville (1841), Max Radiguet 1985:202-207) were published as engravings in Cook's jour­ (1929), and Aylic Marin [pseudonym of Edouard Petit] nal (Cook 1777 :Plates XXXIII, XXXVI, XXXVII and (1891). Engravings from these, as well as from Cook, have XVII). These include a view of canoes in Vaitahu bay; por­ been reproduced, some many times, but not to the same ex­ traits of a Marquesan woman and Vaitahu's high chief, tent as the Krusenstern ones. As early as the 1830s, they be­ Honu; and a plate of artifacts, illustrating five of the first gan to be reprinted in works by other authors. They have Marquesan pieces brought back to Europe: a partially carved been used to illustrate books on the Pacific in general, on club ('u'u), a fan (tahi'i), an uhikana head ornament, a fibe~ Marquesan history, mythology, and art, and in virtually every head ornament, and a wooden gorget studded with seeds. book on tattooing, Polynesian or Marquesan. The only other image from the Marquesas published before Sometimes, it seems, they begin to take on a life of the Krusenstern journals comes from the account of the 1791 their own. In some cases there are minor changes, while in visit of Frenchman, Etienne Marchand. It illustrates a others, they are quite extensively reworked or manipulated. wooden stilt footrest (Fleurieu 1801). Some artists didn't like the original background scenery, and In early May 1804, two Russian ships, the Nadeshda so re-drew it. An example of this is a lithograph (AI17, no. and the Neva, rendezvoused in Taioha'e bay, Nuku Hiva is­ 6) from the 1840s in the print collection of the Turnbull Li- land, in the northern Marquesas. Under the command of Cap-

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brary, Wellington, New Zealand drawn by G. Riccio and Cimitiere) a Nouka-hiva (Figure 3), a re-working of Cemetery etched by Petraroja. It is based on the frontispiece from on Nukahiva Island (Figure 4). In this version of a sacred bur­ Krusenstern'sjoumal (1813, drawn and etched by J. A. Atkin­ ial and ritual site called a me'ae, only two wooden figures re­ son) showing a Marquesan warrior holding a club and a gourd main from the three in the original Krusenstern engraving. in a net. Although the central image of the man is essentially There is a completely different landscape, with several vol­ unchanged, three people have been added to the scene and the canic peaks, a Western Polynesian style house, and two fig­ hills and houses in landscape are different from the original. ures walking peacefully along a path.

Figure 3. Morai (l'espece de Cirnitiere) a Nouka-hiva (Domeny de Figure I. View of the Coast in the neighborhood ofTschitschagoff [Haka'ui] Harbour (Krusenstem Atlas 1813:Plate 14). Rienzi 1865:Plate 138; in Rollin 1979:202).

A good example of a book in which both major and mi­ An interesting example of transformation can be seen in nor modifications occurred is Domeny de Rienzi's, Oceanie, the scene where a woman is being tattooed in her house, In­ published in 1836. This three-volume work was reprinted in side of a Hut at Nukamwa (Langsdorff I813:Plate X, fp.127). lhe 1870s, with several of the Marquesan plates later repro­ In a color version from a recent book on tattooing, the scene is duced by Dr. Louis Rollin (1929) in a book on Marquesan described as "a fantasized and toned down perception of a ses­ culture. Domeny de Rienzi's Volume 2 includes eight plates sion of tattooing - 1813" (Gotz 1998:17). An even more illustrating the Marquesas. Of these, five are derived from "toned down" version was reproduced in a brochure for lhe Krusenstern's Atlas, two mainly from Cook's account, and Keikahanui Inn in Taioha'e, Nuku Hiva. The scene is de­ one is a melange combining images from Stewart, Porter and scribed only as "the interior of a house of Nuku Hiva," and all Krusenstern! One of the least reworked is the scene entitled, vestiges of tattooing have been removed. View of the Coast in the neighborhood of Tscrutschagoff By far the two most popular images from the Krusen­ [Haka'ui] Harbour (Figure 1). In the Domeny de Rienzi ver­ stern engravings are those of an "older" tattooed Marquesan, sion (Figure 2), the scale has been changed dramatically, with An Inhabitant of the Island of Nukahiwa (Figure 5) and a the foreground and the boat enlarged to take on greater impor­ "younger" one, A Young Nukahivan not completely tattooed tance. (Figure 6). In an often reprinted late nineteenth century publi­ Extensive changes can be seen in Morai (l'espece de cation, J. G. Wood's Natural History of Man, they actually

Figure 2. Baie de Tchitchogoff (Domeny de Rienzi 1865:Plate 136; Figure 4. Cemetery on Nukahiva Island (Krusenstem Atlas 1813: in Rollin 1929:38). Plate 16).

Rapa Nui Journal 127 Vol. 18 (2) October 2004 https://kahualike.manoa.hawaii.edu/rnj/vol18/iss2/8 2 Ivory: Images of the Marquesas

Figure 6. A Young Nukahivan not completely tattooed Figure 5. An Inhabitant of the Island of Nukahiwa (Langsdorff (Langsdorff 1813:Plate VI], fp.119). l813:Plate VI, fp.ll?)

meet in conversation. This engraving has been reproduced in a tapa (barkcloth) makers from Fatuiva. recent book on Marquesan myths (see Langridge and Terrell The tapa makers, in particular, routinely use the histori­ 1988: opp. 8). The older man is little changed except for being cal drawings found in Steinen. These designs are preserved in more relaxed. The younger man appears more animated than the form of treasured family-owned paper patterns, a notable in the original. He's now wearing the hami, a tapa, or bark example of Hao 'e-'Enana exchange. Outsiders, Hao'e, drew cloth, wrapping instead of being completely naked, and in­ the original pictures of 'Enana in the nineteenth century. In stead of a trophy skull and spear, he here holds a very Fijian­ the 1970s, these images returned to the Marquesas as photo­ looking club. copies. Beginning in the 1980s, it was foreigners who drew In the 1920s, German ethnologist, Karl von den Steinen, the paper patterns that their Marquesan friends use to this day who had spent six months in the Marquesas in 1897-1898, to make tapa, which they then sell to tourists! An interesting published his encyclopedic, three-volume work on Marquesan note is that a number of Marquesan tapa artists remarked to art, Die Marquesaner und lhrer Kunst (1925, I928a, b). In his me that they liked the contemporary version of the "old war­ books, he reproduced a large number of illustrations drawn rior" better than the original. The reason is that his face was from many sources. These include most of the original changed when the pattern was made, making him, they say, Krusenstern engravings. Perhaps his high regard for them can much more handsome. be deduced from the fact that three Krusenstern images are the Of all of the historical images available, the young war­ only ones for which he allots a full page each rior is by far the single most popular subject on painted tapa (1925:30,70,142), and two of the three are the older and (Figure 7). The artists often have multiple patterns of him in a younger men. variety of sizes. One reason for his popularity is, of course, Steinen's books are extremely important for many rea­ because he sells well. Tourists, outsiders, love him, but Te sons, but the one that is significant for this essay is that they 'Enana do also. When I asked some ten women which tapa have had an enormous impact on art in the Marquesas islands, designs were their own personal favorites, almost all men­ especially since the rnid-1970s, when pages from them began tioned the young warrior. to be photocopied and widely distributed in notebooks He has, in fact, become THE icon of the Marquesan past, throughout the Marquesan islands. Along with drawings from for many Marquesans and non-Marquesans. As an example of a second scholar, Willowdean Handy (1922, 1938), they form the latter, he was the logo for Rose Corser's Keikahanui Inn, the design books for most contemporary sculpture and tattoo which is now the Nuku Hiva Keikahanui Pearl Lodge, part of artists, and in the form of paper patterns, for contemporary a luxury hotel chain in French Polynesia. Keikahanui was a

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legendary hero figure and great Marquesan. Their subject matter warrior from Hatiheu valley, on is diverse and can be used as illus­ the other side of Nuku Hiva is­ trations for a variety of purposes. land from Taioha'e, where the They are really the first to record hotel is located. The site where Marquesan life, and especially the young warrior stands in the subjects such as tattooing, which original drawing is, however, particularly fascinated outsiders. coincidentally in reality on the And they captured Marque­ beach just below the hotel san life at a moment before it had grounds. In 1979, Corser adopted radically changed. Radiguet's both the legendary hero's name, drawings from 1842 are wonder­ as well as the image of the young ful, and have been featured in two warrior, whom she calls Keika­ recent publications on the Mar­ hanui, to symbolize her hotel. quesas (Panoff 1995, Deschamps He appears in other bro­ and Laudon 1994, 2002), but they chures, too, such as those from a depict a culture in the throes of packet promoting the Marquesas change and at a significant, and Islands as a tourist destination difficult moment in Marquesan that was published in the late history, the accession of the archi­ 1990s. These brochures were de­ pelago by the French. It is inter­ signed by a consortium of Mar­ esting that these images have not quesan and non-Marquesan busi­ resonated among Marquesans to ness and political leaders. Again, any extent at all at this time. It a piece of tapa depicting the seems certain that the Krusenstern young warrior was chosen from engravings will retain their promi­ the wide variety of tapa designs nence of place for a long time to available. This image is repro­ come. They are ricWy deserving duced in the packet twice, both to of the attention and further study. illustrate the brochure on Fa­ tuiva, and in the general intro­ ductory one. Why the fondness for this image? I believe this particular figure resonates on multiple lev­ els. When one thinks of the Mar­ quesas of the past, one might well picture someone like this Figure 7. Tapa by Elisabeth Gilmore showing the 'young man: young, with a sense of po­ warrior'. (Photo by Carol Ivory) tential, of possibilities; a warrior who traditionally was brave and strong. He is also anony­ NOTES mous; we don't see his face or know who he is - he could be th anyone. His mood is ambiguous - pensively looking out over I This paper was originally presented at the 87 Annual Col­ the harbor. Is he melancholy, looking to a lost past, which is lege Art Association Conference Los Angeles, Califor­ certainly the case in the Marquesas, or with hope, to a new nia, February 1999. I would like to thank Anne D'Alleva future with a renewed and revitalized Marquesan culture? for the opportunity to participate in her panel, Looking This is also true of the Marquesas today. This potential for at Each OtherlTitiro atu, Titiro mai: The Arts of Encoun­ different interpretations and moods is, 1 believe, an important ter in the Pacific. I also wish to thank Robert Suggs for reason for the popularity of this particular figure today. his prompt and insightful assistance, especially with the As for the sustained interest in the Krusenstern engrav­ Russian edition of Lisiansky, and Rose Corser for shar­ ings as a group, 1 think a number of reasons may be consid­ ing her hotel brochure. Part of the research for this paper ered. For one thing, there are not many published historical was supported by a research grant from the American images available to draw from - perhaps 50 or 60 nineteenth Philosophical Society, for whose support I am grateful. century engravings. Of these, the Krusenstern group forms 2 The club is believed to be in the British Museum, no. about 60% of them, and the prominence that Steinen gave to BMll; the other artifacts are identical to several in the them helped bring them back to the attention of people inside Forster collection now at the Pitt Rivers Museum, Ox­ and outside the Marquesas in the 20th century. ford. Despite Hoppner's claim that the Krusenstern plates conveyed very little information, they in fact are a rich treas­ ure trove for scholars and artists, Marquesan and non-

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REFERENCES Main: F. Wilmans. 1813-14. Voyage and Travels in Various Parts of the Bernhardi, C. 1856. Memoir of the Celebrated Admiral Adam World during the Years 1803, 1804, 1805, 1806, and John de Krusenstern. London: Longmans, Green, Brown, 1807. London: Henry Colburn. and Longmans. 1817. Voyage and Travels in Various Parts ofthe World Cook, 1. 1777. A Voyage Towards the South Pole, and Round during the Years 1803, 1804, 1805, 1806, and 1807. Car­ the World, Performed in His Majesty's Ships the Resolu­ lisle, PA: George Phillips. tion and Adventure, in the years 1772, 1773, 1774, and 1818-19. Reis Rondom de Wereld, in de Jaren 1803 tot 1775.2 vols. London: W. Strahan and T. Cadell. 1907. Amsterdam: J. C. von Kesteren. Deschamps, E. and P. Laudon. 1994, 2002. L'archipel des Lisiansky, U. 1812. Puteshestive Vokrug Svieta v. 1803,4,5 i Marquises. Boulogne: Les editions Ie Motu. 1806 Godakh. St. Petersburg: Tipgrafii o. drekhslera. Domeny de R., G. Louis. 1836, 1838; 1872. 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Markham (trans. and ed.), 2 Morskoi vol., Series 2, No. 14. London: Hakluyt Society. 1810-14. Reise um die Welt in den Jahren 1803, 1804, Radiguet, M. 1929. Les Derniers Sauvages. Paris: Editions 1805, und 1806. St. Petersburg: Gedruckt in der Schnoor­ Duchartre et van Buggenhoudt. schen Buchdruckerey. Rollin, L. 1929. Les lles Marquises. Paris: Societe d'Editions 1811-12. Resa Omkring Jorden, Forrattad uren 1803, Geographique, Maritimes et Coloniales. 1804, 1805, och 1806. Orebro: N. Lindh. Steinen, Karl von den 1925. Die Marquesaner und Ihrer 1811-15. Reize om de Wereld Gedaan in de Jaren 1803, Kunst: Vol.!, Tatuiering. Berlin: Dietrich Reimer. 1804, 1805, en 1806. Haarlem: A. Loosjes Pz. 1928a. Die Marquesaner und lhrer Kunst: Vol.!I, Plastik. 1811-12. Reise um die Welt in den Jahren 1803, 1804, Berlin: Dietrich Reimer. 1805, und 1806. Berlin: Haude und Spener. 1928b. Die Marquesaner und lhrer Kunst: Vol.!lI, Die 1811. Beschreibung der Insel Nuka Hiva der Vorzuglich­ Sammlungen. Berlin: Dietrich Reimer. sten der Washingtons-1nseln im Grossen Sud-Meere. Stewart, C. S. 1831. A Visit to the South Seas. 2 vols. New Weimar: Landes-Ind.-Comp. York: J. P. Haven. 1813. Voyage Round the World in the years 1803, 1804, Wood, J. G. 1875. The Natural History of Man. Note: Lan­ 1805, and 1806. R. B. Hoppner (trans.). London: John gridge and Terrell cite their source only as an 1875 edi­ Murray. tion of Wood's book. I couldn't find an 1875 edition in 1818. Viaggio Intorno al Mondo Fatto Negli Anni 1803­ any library catalog. I did find editions for 1868, 1870, 4-5 e 1806. Milan: Dall Tipografia di Gianbaitista Son­ 1874, 1880, and 1900 from London's G. Routledge and zogno. Sons. A New York publisher, Home Book Company, 1821. Voyage Autour du Monde: Fait dans les Annees published editions in 1850, 1870, and 1879. I don't know 1803, 1804, 1805, et 1806. Paris: Librarie de Gide Fils. if this image was in all, some, or only one of these edi­ Langridge, M. and J. Terrell. 1988. Von den Steinen's Mar­ tions and/or in an 1875 edition I was unable to locate. quesan Myths. Canberra: Target Oceania and The Journal of Pacific History. Langsdorff, G. H. von. 1812. Bemerkungen auf einer Reise um die Welt in den Jahren 1803 bis 1807. Frankfurt am

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