Power and Prestige

The Arts of Island Melanesia and the Polynesian Outliers

November 1, 1996 - January 4, 1997

Power and Prestige displays and contrasts two diverse Pacific islands cultures and their artistic traditions. Island Melanesian art is rich with imagery, colors, and textures designed to express accumulated mana, or spiritual power. The Polynesian peoples of the remote outlier islands, in contrast, produced prestige art for entitled chiefly individuals of divine lineage which reflected their Polynesian heritage; it is characterized by abstract elegance and purity of line.

Material from the Polynesian outliers is especially rare and has been seldom published or exhibited; Power and Prestige is a very special opportunity to view material from these remote cultures. The exhibition and accompanying catalog by Norman Hurst contrasts these divergent cultures and provides contextual information about and descriptive analysis of the objects, enlivened by firsthand accounts of explorers, missionaries, and ethnographers.

ISLANDS REPRESENTED:

Melanesia

New Ireland
Solomon Islands, from Buka Passage to the Star Harbour region
Vanuatu, from Iles Banks in the north to Ile Efate in the south

Polynesian outliers

Tikopia and Anuta
Santa Cruz Islands
Rennell and Bellona
Ontong Java Atoll
Nukuoro Atoll

Micronesian outliers

Wuvulu and Aua (Matty and Durour)

	Catalog #1 Standing figure with frigate bird (totok) Northern New Ireland Wood (Alstonia villosa), eyes inlaid with Turbo petholatus opercula, red, white, and black pigment Height 41 in. (104.1 cm), Width 7 in. (17.8 cm) Collected by Lajos Biro in 1900; Ex collection Neprajzi Muzeum, Budapest
Catalog #13 Ceremonial bowl in the shape of a bird Star Harbour area, San Cristobol Region, Solomon Islands Wood (tap'a) with shell inlay (reoreo), black pigment L. 22.75 (57.6 cm), W. 8 in. (20.3 cm), H. 8.75 in. (22.2 cm) Provenance: Johnson Collection
	Catalog #44,45 Two dance staves (temes) Ile Ambrym,Republic of Vanuatu Wood, boar tusks, bark cloth, spider web, red, black, and white pigment, modeled clay Height of faces 12-13 in. (30.5-33 cm), Height overall 26-31 in. (66-78.7 cm) Provenance: Johnson Collection
Catalog #65 Napa dance club Possibly Ndende, Santa Cruz Islands, Solomon Islands Wood, coconut fiber, black and red pigment L. 32.5 in. (82.6 cm), W. 2.25 in. (5.7 cm), D. 2 in. (5.1 cm) Published: Hurst Gallery, Art and Artifacts of Melanesia, 1992, p. 68, fig. 67
	Catalog #66 Feather currency roll (tevau or manahau) Ndende, Santa Cruz Islands, Solomon Islands Feathers of Myzomela cardinalis, fiber, adhesive Width as shown 31 in. (78.7 cm), Height 14.5 in. (36.8 cm)
Catalog #97 Bowl (apia nie) Wuvulu, Manus Province, Papua New Guinea Calophyllum wood L. 20.88 in. (53 cm), W. 11 in. (27.9 cm), H. 3 in. (15.2 cm) Provenance: Johnson collection

CATALOG AVAILABLE: text by Norman Hurst, 88 pages, fully illustrated with 42 color and 26 b/w photographs of 127 objects, maps, illustrations, extensive bibliography ($25 domestic, $35 foreign, post paid) Please call or fax the gallery to order by credit card or check (drawn on U.S. bank)

[Return to Top]