Oceania: Art of the Pacific Islands in The Metropolitan Museum of Art [Hardcover]

Eric Kjellgren (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 3, 2007 | Series: Metropolitan Museum of Art

In aesthetic quality, significance and scope, the Metropolitan Museum's Oceanic or Pacific Islands collection is one of the finest and most comprehensive in the world. This generously illustrated volume features some 200 masterworks from the more than 2,600 objects currently in the collection, and it is published to coincide with the opening of the Museum's new galleries of Oceanic art. An overview of Oceanic art and a history of the Metropolitan's collection are followed by detailed chapters devoted to each of the five major cultural regions of the Pacific: Australia, Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia, and the islands of Southeast Asia. Among the notable works discussed are a monumental Baining barkcloth figure, a spectacular shield from the Solomon Islands, the Museum's renowned Torres Strait mask and acclaimed Mangarevan wooden male figure, a weather charm from the Caroline Islands, and textiles from the regions of Lampung and Sumba, in Sumatra. A glossary and selected bibliography conclude this essential guide.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Eric Kjellgren is Evelyn A. J. Hall and John A. Friede Associate Curator for Oceanic Art, Department of the Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. He is the principal author of Adorning the World: Art of the Marquesas Islands (MMA/Yale, 2005) and of Splendid Isolation: Art of Easter Island (MMA/Yale, 2001).

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Metropolitan Museum of Art (December 3, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300120303
• ISBN-13: 978-0300120301
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 8.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #699,339 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pacific Island Art, June 28, 2008

By 

James I. Cole "grayspur" (High Desert, California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Oceania: Art of the Pacific Islands in The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Hardcover)

Hardback, 2007, 11.25" x 8.5", 353 Pages, 198 Objects illustrated in full color, 2 maps, numerous color & B/W illustrations. (Note : For some unknown reason, the book I purchased new from Amazon features a figure on the cover which is different than that shown in the Amazon entry, although both figures are included in the book.)

A very worthwhile effort with an eclectic and consistently interesting selection of art from New Guinea, Australia, Island Melanesia, Island Southeast Asia, Micronesia and Polynesia. The only reason it doesn't get 5 stars is because the artifacts are mostly illustrated in 1/4 or 1/3 pages, and the small size does not do them justice. In spite of this limitation, the book is still highly recommended for anybody who appreciates Oceanic Art.