↗Melanesia, Papua New Guinea, Papuan Gulf, Elema District, 20th century · before 1930
Spirit Board
Creator not recorded
Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Munro · The Cleveland Museum of Art
Image: public domain (CC0) · Museum record & image source ↗
Melanesia, New Guinea, Massim Area, Trobriand Islands, 20th century · before 1930
Club
Creator not recorded by the museum
- Date
- before 1930
- Medium
- wood
- Dimensions
- Overall: 143.5 cm (56 1/2 in.)
- Country / context
- Papua New Guinea
- Movement / tradition
- Oceanic arts
- Collection
- The Cleveland Museum of Art
- Pathway
- Oceanic arts ↗
FROM THE MUSEUM
Craftsmen from the Trobriand Islands (off the coast of eastern New Guinea) decorated both utilitarian and ceremonial objects with elegant incised patterns. Usually these wooden objects were red or deep black in color. The engraved designs, depicting stylized frigate birds or human faces and figures, are infilled with lime. Drums, dance wands, shields, and canoe ornaments, together with spells and incantations, were part of the hereditary wealth of local Massim chiefs.
Collection text · The Cleveland Museum of Art · CC0A MOMENT TO LOOK
Start with what you can see: shapes, surface, colour and scale. How might the listed materials affect the way this object was made and experienced?
Looking prompt · an invitation to observe, not a historical interpretation.
