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Pacific Art IN DETAIL Jenny Newell © 2011 The Trustees of the British Museum Jenny Newell has asserted the right to be identified as the author of this work Contents First published in 2011 by The British Museum Press A division of The British Museum Company Ltd 38 Russell Square, London WC1B 3QQ www.britishmuseum.org Preface 000 A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library 1 What Is Pacific Art? 000 ISBN 2 Art of the Moment 000 Photography by the British Museum Department of Photography and Imaging 3 Sea of Islands 000 Map by Mark Gunning (www.gunningdesign.com) 4 Gods and Spirits 000 Designed and typeset in Minion and Helvetica by Printed in 5 Living with Ancestors 000 The papers used in this book are natural, renewable and recyclable 6 Art of Power 000 products and the manufacturing processes are expected to conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin. 7 Art of Dance 000 8 Art of War 000 9 Art of Change 000 10 Further Information 000 Sources 000 Further reading 000 Collections of Pacific art 000 Glossary 000 British Museum registration numbers 000 Index 000 4 5 Preface In recent decades Pacific Islanders have Kalissa Alexeyeff, Joshua Bell, Mike Gunn, been increasingly engaged with museum Crispin Howarth, Sean Mallon, Olympia E. Preface objects, historic photographic collections, and Morei, Paul Tapsell, Michel Tuffery, etc. [AQ: archives as documents of the art forms and more names to come?] techniques of their ancestors. This is part of The National Museum of Australia The arts of the Pacific are magnificently more widely accessible through publications a broader process within the post-colonial generously supported the writing of this diverse. This book provides a detailed view and online resources. Pacific of rediscovering traditional methods book during my fellowship at the Centre into some of this diversity. It is presented like More can be discovered about the objects and reinvigorating early art practices. As the for Historical Research. Special thanks go a walk through an exhibition, showcasing of art in this book through the British artist and scholar Rosanna Raymond has said, to Peter Stanley, Director of the Centre, for treasures from the extraordinary Oceania Museum’s Collection Database on the museums could become ‘arenas for cultural his ever-enthusiastic support and comments collection at the British Museum – all Museum’s website. This database (a work-in- exchange, going outside the boundary of the on the manuscript. I am also grateful to organized into themes, with explanatory labels progress, regularly updated) can be searched space into everyday life’. Anne Faris, Dawn Hollins, Kate Goode and and a curator beside you pointing out aspects using a relevant search term or the object’s Rachel Eggleton. Fellow Pacific researcher, of each artefact’s significance. registration number. These numbers are Kylie Moloney, gave superb help and advice. The Oceania collection at the British listed at the back of the book. Here you will ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I thank the British Museum Press, particularly Deep thanks to my husband, Mark Gunning, Museum is one of the world’s most significant also find a guide to further reading, a list of Naomi Waters and Axelle Russo, for bringing for his invaluable and comprehensive help collections from the Pacific, encompassing references for the sources quoted in the text, the book together so skilfully – as well as Nina (from child care to design advice and map around 37,000 items and stretching from more information about the British Museum’s Shandloff, original editor of the series, and production), and to our sons, Ben and Tom, 8,000-year-old archaeological finds to collection, and a glossary. More information Rosemary Bradley, Director of Publishing. for their patience. I dedicate the book to them. contemporary paintings and sculpture. In on Oceanic cultures and the Museum’s Heartfelt thanks to Mike Row of the British the Oceania department of the Museum’s collection can be found at the Centre for Museum’s Photographic and Imaging storehouse are works in wood, stone, bone, Anthropology at the British Museum’s north Department for his talent in making these textiles, ceramics, feathers, dog fur, shell, entrance. often very challenging objects look their best. coconut shell, plastic, metal and more. These This book is for everyone interested in I am grateful to my former colleagues in the works were made and collected across the finding out more about the arts of the Pacific, Museum’s Oceanic section for all their insights breadth of Oceania, a region comprising the not just about the examples in the British and advice on the object selections and the Pacific Islands, including Aotearoa (New Museum. The specific objects presented here pleasure of working together over many years: Zealand) and Australia and the Torres Strait. are representative of the types either still being Lissant Bolton, Jill Hasell, Natasha McKinney, Some of the collection is on display in the made by Pacific Islanders or found in historic Elizabeth Bonshek, Julie Adams and Ben Burt. Museum itself, and researchers, artists and collections in private and public institutions I appreciate the advice of a wide range of members of source communities visit the around the world. A list of institutions with Pacific curators, artists, scholars and others: artefacts in the storeroom. They are also made major Pacific collections is included at the end. 6 7 What is Pacific Art? 1 from sculptural installations combining found things that Pacific Islanders make. The The arts of the Pacific Ocean’s many cultures objects and photography to performance chapters in this book reflect these important What is Pacific Art? are dazzling in their richness. Some of these pieces for a digital environment. streams within Pacific Island life. arts are easily recognized: from the majestic This book presents on an intimate scale a Art has generally been defined by Pacific ‘We reveal the richness and beauty of our cultures by coming together stone ancestor figures of Rapa Nui (Easter view into the creativity of this dynamic region: Islanders over time as something that is and sharing them.’ Mary Ama, texile and fibre artist, Island), to the spectacular feather headdresses its people, places and productions. carried out with skill – something well made Cook Islands and Aotearoa (New Zealand), 2001 of Papua New Guinea. Closer and more The Pacific is the world’s most culturally or well performed. One of the skills valued detailed examination, allows us deeper diverse region. The Pacific Ocean covers has been ‘indirectness’, the ability to conceal understanding of these arts. one-third of the globe and contains more effectively the meanings of things in layers, The people of the Pacific Ocean have always than 25,000 islands. Depending on where which are sometimes gradually, but not created powerful things. Carvings, textiles one draws the boundaries, the number of always, revealed. Gender has always been a key and architecture, as well as dance, oratory and inhabited islands can be said to be about line of division in Pacific cultures. Historically, other performing arts, are all visually potent 10,000. Each island group has its distinctive most activities were assigned to either men and have often been about managing the arts, as well as distinctive topographies, or women: men were carvers, tattooists and flow of power through people and the land. cosmologies, societies, polities and economies. canoe builders. Women were the makers of Many of these works have acted to provide a Nevertheless, within this diversity, the barkcloth (tapa), potters, plaiters of mats and connection to gods, spirits and ancestors – and Pacific is still a region bound together by its canoe sails. While many of these divisions in attempt to manage their power. The visual connecting ocean and connected histories, art practice have dissolved, they do continue effect of an object – its stunning intricacy, its with ongoing cultural links between the in some Pacific cultures. beautifully formed simplicity or its aggressive islands. While there are many smaller regional potency – is central to the object’s power. identities, most Islanders of the Pacific Ocean As you will see in these pages, Pacific recognize a degree of shared heritage and Painted pottery bowl. Islander artists today often intersect their work shared identity. Wosera, East Sepik with traditional forms. Some are inspired by There are approaches to life that can be province, Papua the intricately carved canoes and meeting seen embodied in the arts across the great New Guinea. houses, the spectacular ceremonial masks breadth of the Pacific. There are common Clay. H. 24cm. and dance costumes, kites, feather cloaks, and approaches to the world that have a long weapons of earlier eras, and either re-create or history, but still retain validity: the deep- work from a basis of these forms. Many artists running, potent connections to land, to sea of the contemporary Pacific are also creating and to family, ancestors and sacred beings. new art forms that comment on today’s world, These connections find expression in the 8 9 Pacific Art in Detail What is Pacific Art? Pacific-wide, artists have historically artists to adapt and explore change while Pacific arts The British Museum’s relationship with works are thoroughly documented – and well worked with the stuff of sacredness. The maintaining a hold on traditions. Islanders at the British Oceania began when a staff member, Daniel placed to enhance our understanding of the things they made channelled the flow of a have a long history of innovations inspired Museum Solander, accompanied Captain Cook on his complexities of modern life in the Pacific. sacred power – mana. This power flows from by new things and new ideas from beyond first voyage to the Pacific Ocean.

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