Thank you for checking out this post from A Year in the Library, a meandering journey through my library and collections. This time around, we’re looking at ethnographic art and cultural artifacts from around the Pacific. As part of your Archivist’s misspent youth, he traveled around that broad area and many of the objects depicted in this entry were acquired at or relatively near (in Pacific Ocean terms) their points of origin. But first, some books...
Some heavy books about Oceanic Art
Oceanic Art. 1995
Hardcover book by Anthony Meyer. Könwmann. About 29 x 33 cm., 640 pp.
Weighing in at almost 9 pounds, this tome is filled with large color images by Olaf Wipperfürthand intermixed with several period ethnographic photos. The book provides a great overview of art from Melanesia, Polynesia, and Micronesia from a geographic perspective with parallel texts in English, German, and French.
The book is full of large color images to transport you to another time and place.
Put on a happy face!
An example of a Solomon Island nguzunguzu. What’s a nguzunguzu? Keep reading...
Oceanic Art. 1998
Hardcover book by A. Kaeppler, C. Kaufmann, and D. Newton. Abrams. About 26 x 32 cm., 634 pp.
As with many Abrams art books, this one is an English translation of an earlier text, in this case French. In contrast to Meyer’s book (above), this volume provides a thematic approach within the geographies covered. Topics include “Sacred Fibers, Feathers, and Inner Barks” and “From Image to Cosmos”. The first three-quarters of the book consists of color plates and text, while the last quarter is composed of monochrome documentary images.
The book covers fiber artifacts such as this in addition to carved wood artifacts.
An example of a Micronesian bai (men’s meeting house). Keep this image in mind when you look at the storyboards below.
Complementary images help provide a context to the objects depicted in the body of the text.
Arts of the South Seas. 1999
Hardcover book by Douglass Newton. Prestel. About 26 x 32 cm., 368 pp.
This book reviews the Oceanic collection of the Musée Barbier-Mueller in Genève, Switzerland. Objects surveyed include parts of Southeast Asia as well as Oceania proper. Well-illustrated with color and monochrome images, the book (unsurprisingly) reads like an exhibition catalogue with descriptive entries and short essays.
Here are a few pieces in the Barbier-Mueller Collection from Sumatra.
And some examples of Sepik art from Papua New Guinea.
Palauan Storyboards
In the early history of Micronesia, the formation of organized men’s “clubs” allowed rulers to consolidate power and labor for warfare and community projects. These clubs were headquartered in bai, prefabricated structures that were purchased and then assembled in the buyer's village. The more bai you could purchase and place in your village, the greater your prestige. Bai were heavily decorated with carvings consisting of patterned elements and narrative legends.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, European expeditioners to the region removed decorated parts of bai or disassembled them entirely for museums and collectors back home. In the 1930s when Japanese influence in the Pacific was rising, the folklorist Hisataku Hijikata visited Palau and taught local carvers how to produce work on a smaller scale and to limit the number of legends depicted to several dozen, thereby satisfying the demand for indigenous art while preserving their bai from further destruction. Hijikata’s efforts formed the basis for post-World War II trade in carvings for individual collectors and tourists. In matters of taste, Japanese collectors preferred painted storyboards that focused on surface designs while America buyers opted for more deeply carved unpainted examples.
Ceremonial Scene. November 1951
Carved and painted wood storyboard by Naíraíbuuh (sic?). About 78 x 36 cm.
Rather than illustrating a particular legend, this colorful (and dated) storyboard appears to depict a ceremonial scene at a bai. The highly-decorated structure is flanked by dancers and birds on either side.
A detail of the bai shows the intricate nature of the structure’s decorative schema.
Story of the Aimeliik Snake. c. 1980.
Carved wood storyboard by “H.P.A.” (Hitler). About 51 x 20 cm.
It seems as if dragons and giant snakes are ubiquitous in the human imagination. This piece illustrates the Palauan legend of the Aimeliik Snake, a giant human-eating serpent that terrified a local village. The story relates that upon smelling food being cooked, the snake would come down from Aimeliik Mountain and devour the cooks. To avoid this fate, the people survived by eating raw food until a young boy came up with an idea to vanquish the snake. A fire was set to heat a pile of large rocks and when the snake appeared, its mouth open in anticipation of a hearty meal, the searing rocks were thrown into its maw, killing it.
The Marshallese dealer from whom this piece was acquired said that the carver was known by the unusual name of “Hitler”. A signature of “H.P.A.” is carved on the back of the board.
In this depiction of the legend, a bamboo staff is used to pry the serpent’s mouth open as rocks are heated in the flames below.
The Story of Surech and Dulei. c. 1980.
Carved wood storyboard by “H.P.A.” (Hitler). About 78 x 25 cm.
In another storyboard carved and signed by Hitler, a tragic Shakespearean love story unfolds. The legend tells of the beautiful maiden Surech and her handsome lover Dulei. The two would rendezvous in a secluded place in the forest, but it was not secret enough. Upon hearing of Surech’s beauty, the local chief commanded Dulei to let him see her face. Well, if you know anything about folklore and legends, you know how important it is to be precise about your wishes.
Realizing that upon seeing her beauty, the chief would steal Surech from him, Dulei went off to meet his lover with a basket and hatchet in hand. After Surech had fallen asleep, Dulei cut off her head and put it in the basket. He then dutifully brought Surech’s “face” (and not much else) to the chief. For his efforts to remain true to the letter, if not the spirit, of the chief’s command, Dulei was immediately killed. Ah, love...
Here’s a detail depicting a bai, the original source for carved legends in Palau. Pay no attention to the man with the hatchet...
The Story of the Canoe and the Turtle (?). c. 1980.
Carved wood storyboard. About 138 x 26 cm.
About the iconography of this storyboard I am a little uncertain. I think the left panel depicts the parable-like story of The Canoe and The Turtle. In that story, a man went out hunting turtles in his canoe. Anxious to catch a turtle, the man dove into the water without first anchoring his boat. The man wrestled underwater with a turtle and finally managed to bring it to the surface. When the man looked for his canoe, he saw it drifting quickly away. He tried to reach it while still holding onto the struggling turtle but realized he’d have to let the turtle go. Even after relinquishing his catch, the man was unable to catch up to his canoe. In the end, he swam home without either a turtle of a canoe.
It’s not clear to me whether the right panel illustrates the return of the hapless turtle hunter or some other legend or event. What is particularly appealing about this storyboard is that the narrative scenes are contained within the bodies of two fish, each of which has been hooked and speared.
Decisisons, decisiosns...
What do you think this depicts?
Other Micronesian Artworks
Decorative Head. c. 1980
Carved wood with shell inlay. About 51 x 12 cm.
Reminiscent of a mask, this solid carving was not intended to be worn but is more likely representative of a decorative carving from a bai. Small inlaid shells serve as eyes.
Chuuk (Truk) ”Suk”. c. 1970.
Carved wood and twine hand weapon. About 24 cm. long.
The brass knuckles of the Pacific, this “Suk” (sic?) from the island formerly known as Truk was used as a weapon for hand-to-hand combat.
Lobster Box. c. 1980.
Carved wood box. About 31 cm. long x 13 cm. tall.
Guarding the contents of the box is a Pacific spiny lobster, whose legs and antennae extend well beyond the container. The box could have been created to hold cherished chunks of lava, thereby serving as the inspiration for a popular 1980s B-52s song. Or not.
Some Polynesian Artifacts
“Cannibal” Fork. Fijian Islands. c. 2010.
Carved wood utensil with mother-of-pearl inlay. About 39 cm. long.
This large wooden fork is a modern vestige of Fiji’s distant past when ritualistic cannibalism was practiced on enemy tribes. Such pieces are now created for their aesthetic value, although, I suppose, it could still serve its original purpose.
A closer look at the pointy end.
War Club. Fijian Islands. c. 2000.
Carved wood and twine. About 44 cm. long.
Created for the modern tourist trade, this intricately-carved war club still retains its capacity to make an impression...
Tapa. Samoa. c. 1960.
Tree bark cloth. About 205 x 96 cm.
Bark cloth has been produced for millennia, but the name “Tapa” appears to have come into use the early 19th century to describe cloth of Samoan origin. Tapa is created by alternately soaking and beating the inner bark of a tree to yield a soft and pliable material; there is no weaving involved in the process.
Alas, the precise iconography of the painted designs is as yet a mystery to me.
Another detail of tapa incognita.
Umeke (Bowl). Hawai’i. c. 1980.
Carved koa wood. About 38 cm wide.
The koa tree is endemic to Hawai’i and its name means “brave” in the indigenous language. In Hawai’i’s early history, koa wood was used to make weapons and canoes and ownership of the material was restricted to the ali’i or royal classes. Bowls made of koa are called umeke, and modern versions are prized for their sensuous shapes and rich natural patterns.
Nguzunguzu. Solomon Islands. c. 2000.
Carved wood and mother-or-pearl inlay. About 40 cm tall (without hanging).
Nguzunguzu are figureheads from the Solomon Islands that were attached to the bows of war or hunting canoes. This version holds a head in its hands, indicating it was used on headhunting expeditions. The small piece hanging below the figure represents a frigate bird, known in the region for its hunting prowess.
A closer look.
So, there you have my semi-autobiographical romp through the Pacific. I hope you had some fun along the way. Please come back in a couple of weeks (more or less) for the next installment. If you haven’t yet checked out the previous posts, I encourage you to do so- from radioactive apes to 16th century surrealism, there’s something for (almost) everyone.
Thank you for visiting.
de Gustibus
“Nothing is but what is not.”
I recently bought a caved wooden decortive head like the one shown. I got it in a storage auction. Can you tell me what it's worth?
Wild speculation: Could the tapa be commemorating a marriage? Based on my totally clueless googling, I found some of the words on it, but some are also used as names. What if those two ribbons show the bride's name on one ribbon and the groom's name on the other?