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Collections Online

Collections record

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shield, dance

human history

Images and documents

Artefact

  • Credit Line
    Collection of Auckland Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira, 1928.31, 1537
  • Public Access Text

    Pacific peoples dance to honour their gods, to establish and strengthen their human relationships, and to express their sheer enjoyment of life. In Melanesia, masked dancers move according to the character and personality of the spirit-being brought to life in the mask. Drums, slit gongs, rattles and other percussion instruments are the most frequent accompaniment to dance.

  • Cultural Origin

    Trobriand Islander

  • Place
    Trobriand Islands/Papua New Guinea
  • Date
    Unknown
  • Technique

    carved

  • Media/Materials

    wood/plant material

    wood/plant material

    pigment/colorant

  • Measurement Reading

    685mm (This object was measured as part of a Light Sensitivity gallery survey, undertaken by Sabine Weik in G62 Pacific Masterpieces gallery (MPH 05/11/2015).)

    230mm (This object was measured as part of a Light Sensitivity gallery survey, undertaken by Sabine Weik in G62 Pacific Masterpieces gallery (MPH 05/11/2015).)

    30mm (This object was measured as part of a Light Sensitivity gallery survey, undertaken by Sabine Weik in G62 Pacific Masterpieces gallery (MPH 05/11/2015).)

  • Classification

    Accessory, Dance

    Dance Artefacts

    Ceremonial Artefacts

    Communication Artefacts

  • Last Update
    20 Aug 2021
The development of the Auckland War Memorial Museum online collection is an ongoing process; updates, new images and records are added weekly. In some cases, records have yet to be confirmed by Museum staff, and there could be mistakes or omissions in the information provided.

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