Splendid Isolation: Art of Easter Island (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Few Pacific islands hold as prominent a place in the Western imagination as Easter Island. The most remote inhabited place on earth, Easter Island is home to the Rapa Nui, a Polynesian people who developed a unique series of artistic traditions. While the island is renowned for the colossal stone figures that adorned its temples, much of its art remains unfamiliar to wider audiences. This book examines the island's diverse artistic heritage and presents and discusses more than fifty works, ranging from robust stone images to refined wooden sculpture, rare barkcloth figures, and examples of rongorongo, the island's unique and undeciphered script.

From the Publisher

This handsome book is the catalogue for an exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art that runs from December 12, 2001, through August 4, 2002.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Metropolitan Museum of Art (December 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300090781
• ISBN-13: 978-0300090789
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 7.8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #325,688 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #17 in	Books > Arts & Photography > Museums & Collections > Museums > Exhibition Catalogs > Metropolitan Museum of Art
  #40 in	Books > Arts & Photography > History & Criticism > Regional > Caribbean & Latin American

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great photos, so-so text, April 5, 2002

By A Customer

Visually great, wonderful to see so many Easter island pieces in one place. However, text has a lot of errors, many Rapanui words are misspelled. The reference list is so selective that most important references are not listed.
Most who read the text probably will not know the difference. Advice: look at the pictures, skip the text.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Excellent photos and good overall info, October 21, 2002

By	Claus Hetting (Gentofte, Copenhagen Denmark) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I purchased a couple of wood figures (moai) from Easter Island recently, and then ordered this book in order to learn more about the artistic traditions of this remote island. This small folder presents the most important types of artifacts from Easter Island, and includes some brief but good information on its history and tribal traditions. All the designs, whether they be wood, stone, or barkcloth, are striking and unusual. Recommended for all readers interested in art from the Pacific Islands.