From the South Seas [Hardcover]

Michael Gunn (Author), Christraud Geary (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2006

From New Guinea to New Zealand, Easter Island to Hawaii, the Pacific region known as Oceania has long excited the Western imagination, but its traditional sculptures, pots and paintings have only recently been studied and appreciated as fine art. While much about these works and the cultures that produced them remains mysterious, we do know that most items were created for use in daily life rather than as products for the art market. Nonetheless, their beauty and craftsmanship elevate the best of them to objects of contemplation and wonder. This catalogue presents some 80 Oceanic works of art, each illustrated with its form and function described. Michael Gunn's introduction places the works in context; Christraud Geary discusses provenance; and contextual photographs throughout show many of the objects in situ, aiding in a growing understanding of these intriguing but still elusive works, and adding to the scholarship on, and interest in, Oceania.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: MFA Publications (August 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0878466975
• ISBN-13: 978-0878466979
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #659,765 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars various oceanic art, August 1, 2007

By 

Udo Gangl "primitive" (Graz, Austria, Europe) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: From the South Seas (Hardcover)

One of the latest books dedicating the oceanic art world (in this case even including a little bit of Indonesian tribal art), originating from a private US collection now on hold and show in the Museum of fine Arts in Boston, MA.

The collection of Bertha and William Teel shows not only Oceanic but also African art in general.
This book covers a very good part of their Oceanic art collection from areas like Indonesia (Nias, Sumatra, Borneo, Timor), Melanesia / Papua (Asmat, Korvar, Sentani, Keram, Yuat, Biwat, Korewori, Papua Gulf), Melanesia / Islands (Trobriand, Tami, New Britain, New Ireland, New Caledonia,Admiraltity, Witu, Solomon, Banks), Micronesia (Kiribati, Matty, Marshall) and Polynesia (Fiji, Austral, Rapanui, Marquesas, Aotearoa).

The pieces are very well photographed and described (esp. worth mentioning are detailed information about pedigree/history, aquired from and when and bibliography). Mentioning when and of whom they once have been aquired is something pretty new in art books and i personally like a lot.

As some pieces have a very good (means special or very interesting) pedigree, the preface of the book shows a deeper insight into this early periods when collecting begun; like Johan Cesar Godeffroy, London Missionary society or Richard Parkinson just to mention a few.

Overall a very informative book for the novice of Oceanic (tribal) art with lots of good pictures and informative stories as well as the collector/dealer who knows about as it has new pieces not too much known or published untill now and deeper insight into early collecting periods.Art of the Senses: African Masterpieces from the Teel Collection.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A simply beautiful presentation of Oceanic artifacts, September 11, 2006

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: From the South Seas (Hardcover)

Oceania is a region of the Pacific Ocean that ranges from New Guinea to New Zealand, and from Easter Island to Hawaii. The native populations have created a unique tradition with their sculptures, pots and paintings that are now acknowledged for their artistic values. Compiled, organized, and edited by Christraud Geary (Curator of African and Oceanic Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston), From The South Seas: Oceanic Art In The Teel Collection showcases some 80 Oceanic works of art, each of which is superbly illustrated through full-color photography with an accompanying text describing the object's form and function. An informative introduction by Michael Gunn (Associate Curator for Oceanic Arts, Saint Louis Art Museum) places these showcase works within their historical and cultural context. Curator Geary discusses provenance and survey scholarship to a simply beautiful presentation of Oceanic artifacts. From The South Seas is a prized and highly recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library Art History reference collections.