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Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Adorning the World: Art of the Marquesas Islands
MET: May 10, 2005–January 15, 2006
Renowned as the final refuge of Paul Gauguin, the Marquesas Islands northeast of Tahiti were home to one of the Pacific’s most accomplished traditions of sculpture and decorative art. Created to honor the archipelago’s gods and ancestors, adorn the bodies of its people, and ornament the objects they used, art in the Marquesas encompassed virtually every aspect of sacred and secular life. From everyday items to the sacred images of gods and ancestors, Marquesan artists richly embellished nearly every type of object they used. Celebrated for its elegant stylization of the human image and intricately decorated surfaces, Marquesan art comprised an astonishing diversity of forms, from works in wood and stone to the most elaborate tattooing in the Pacific. Featuring works from the Metropolitan and other museums, libraries, and private collections, the exhibition explores how art captured and enhanced the central themes of secular and religious life.
http://www.metmuseum.org