New Ireland: Art of the South Pacific [Paperback]

Michael Gunn (Author), Phillipe Feltier (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2006

Despite the incredible artistry and skill evident in the prolific output of New Ireland artists of the late 19th century, their work is still largely unknown. This compelling exhibition catalogue intends to rectify that by presenting a broad panorama of artistic expressions developed in New Ireland, a Pacific island northeast of Papua New Guinea, and home to one of the most sophisticated sculptural traditions in the Pacific region. The works of art featured are of such a quality that the design and craftsmanship would be undeniable in any context. However, the narrow range of time and place are especially important to our understanding of them. There is less than one hundred years between the oldest and newest works on view, yet they represent an artistic tradition that is at least four hundred years old. The story of how these arts flourished before, and even during, the period when contact with the outside world was resulting in a major dislocation of traditional cultural practices, is the subjec

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Michael Gunn is Associate Curator for Oceanic Art at the St. Louis Art Museum. Phillipe Peltier is Senior Curator for Oceania and Insular Indonesia at the Musee du quai Branly, Paris.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: 5Continents (December 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 8874393695
• ISBN-13: 978-8874393695
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 9.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #557,972 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Art Of New Ireland, Melanesia, July 21, 2008

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James I. Cole "grayspur" (High Desert, California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: New Ireland: Art of the South Pacific (Paperback)

303 Pages, 11" x 9.5", Paperback, 132 full color plates, 2 maps. An excellent selection of items depicted, the record of the three 2007 exhibitions : at the Saint Louis Art Museum, at The Musee Du Quai Branly, Paris, and at the Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen Zu Berlin. Quality photographs, quality items, quality paper : many items one to a page. Very strong selection of figures, architectural elements, and masks. Highly recommended.