Tag Archives: Papua New Guinea

Battle shields from Chimbu (Simbu): a new acquisition

18 July 2012 – 11.59am
Shield; Papua New Guinea; FE012615; Purchased 2011; Te Papa Tongarewa

Shield; Papua New Guinea; FE012615; Purchased 2011; Te Papa Tongarewa

These battle shields from Chimbu (Simbu) in the Papua New Guinea Highlands were collected by a New Zealand couple who spent nearly a decade teaching in the country until their return to New Zealand in 2009. The shields are significant for their cultural value and use in warfare among the Chimbu. They also have a strong visual presence. 

Shield; Papua New Guinea; FE012616; Purchased 2011; Te Papa Tongarewa

Shield; Papua New Guinea; FE012616; Purchased 2011; Te Papa Tongarewa

In terms of their provenance they contribute to one of our tasks of documenting the important work of New Zealanders in the Pacific through material culture they collect. The museum has a small number of shields from Papua New Guinea. They date from the late 1800s and early 1900s with a few from the 1970s. These shields will be the only examples we have from Chimbu (Simbu). There is only one other artefact attributed to Chimbu in the collection, a ceramic whistle.  

These well documented shields will be useful to researchers of warfare, art and culture in Papua New Guinea.

By Safua Akeli | Posted in News, Pacific | Also tagged , , , | Comments (0)

A striking acquisition

21 October 2010 – 7.41am

"Look Within 2" painting; Te Papa; Purchased 2010

This striking work Look Within 2 (2007) by Papua New Guinea artist Daniel Waswas is the latest addition to Te Papa’s collection of contemporary Pacific artworks. It depicts four images of the same person, conveying a message of self reflection and addressing the idea of identity from within one’s own background. In 2009, the painting was selected by the Kaohsiung Museum in Taiwan for its show Art in the Contemporary Pacific -– The Great Journey: Iin Pursuit of the Ancestral Realm.

A Master of Fine Arts graduate from the University of Auckland, Waswas has been involved with art-making, cultural events organisation, and arts education since the early 1990s. He has lectured in art and design at the University of Papua New Guinea and, in 2005, established the Gallery PNG  in Port Moresby to promote local indigenous art. He was a research scholar at the University of Canterbury’s Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies in 2007.

Waswas’ painting joins Te Papa’s small collection of works by esteemed artists from Papua New Guinea, including Jakupa Ako, Gikmai Kundun, David Lasisi, John Man(n), Morububuna Martin, Mathias Kauage , and Cecil King Wungi.

By Safua Akeli | Posted in Collections Online, Pacific | Also tagged , , | Comments (0)

Tapa – stunning artworks in Paperskin exhibition

15 June 2010 – 10.07am

This Saturday 19 June Te Papa opens it’s new tapa exhibition – Paperskin: the art of tapa.

Preparing to install some of the masks from Papua New Guinea.

Preparing to install some of the masks from Papua New Guinea. Copyright Te Papa 2010

You’ll be able to see a stunning range of more than 40 tapa artworks from throughout the Pacific. Huge awe inspiring masks from Papua New Guinea,  Hawaiian tapa more than two hundred years old, and an incredible 22 metre long  Tongan tapa which hasn’t been on display before. The show was developed with the Queensland Art Gallery and Queensland Museum and includes tapa from their collections. 

Installing a mandas mask from Papua New Guinea, which is nearly 4 metres high.

Installing a mandas mask from Papua New Guinea, which is nearly 4 metres high. Copyright Te Papa 2010

The one thing that all the works have in common is that they are made of tapa, or barkcloth. The plants used to make the tapa include paper mulberry, and banyan tree roots. The tapa is decorated in different ways in different islands in the Pacific, and the patterns and motifs used vary.

Installing large pieces of tapa is quite a challenge – the tapa, or barkcloth, is fragile and needs to be handled carefully.

A large Cook Island tapa is carefully moved into position, ready to be hung.

A large Cook Island tapa is carefully moved into position, ready to be hung. Copyright Te Papa 2010

The 5 metre long tapa from Mangaia, in the Cook Islands is hung on the wall.

The 5 metre long tapa from Mangaia, in the Cook Islands is hung on the wall. Copyright Te Papa 2010

More about the anga (tapa) from Mangaia, Cook Islands.

The tapa works in this exhibition look particularly good because of they way they have been displayed – the tapa cloth seems to float off the walls. The secret to this is the use of some small but extremely strong magnets which help hold the cloth in place.

Conservator Rangi Te Kanawa shows one of the magnets used to hold the tapa in place.

Conservator Rangi Te Kanawa shows one of the magnets used to hold the tapa in place. Copyright Te Papa 2010.

The magnets are so powerful that they are almost impossible to pull apart with your bare hands. If you put one magnet on either side of your finger, they stay there!

Demonstrating the power of the magnets.

Demonstrating the power of the magnets. Copyright Te Papa 2010.

When you come and see an exhibition you might think “What’s all the fuss about? that looks simple to put together”. But appearances can be deceptive and the reality is a bit different. For it all to go smoothly requires careful planning and preparation and great teamwork on the day.

To find out more about Paperskin check the exhibition website.

Explore all the tapa artworks on display in the online catalogue.

By pamelalovis | Posted in Exhibitions, Pacific | Also tagged , , , , , | Comments (1)
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