WARNING - Some May Find This To Be Too Gruesome - A Fly On The Wall’s Views and Reviews

SPIRITS AND HEADHUNTERS: ART OF THE PACIFIC ISLANDS

Ongoing

http://www.bowers.org/

Experience exquisite masterpieces and dynamic objects from the vast and diverse Pacific Islands in this special exhibition guest curated by Chris Rainier.

Photographer Chris Rainier guest curates this exhibition of art from the South Pacific. Spanning the geographic region collectively referred to as Oceania, this comprehensive exhibition highlights masterworks from the three cultural regions of Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia. Particular focus is placed on New Guinea, land of the headhunter, and the rich artistic traditions infused into daily and ritual life. Submerge into a visually stunning world and come face to face with larger-than-life masks, finely crafted feast bowls, objects associated with the secretive Sepik River men’s house, beautiful shell and feather currency, magic figures and tools of the shaman, objects related to seagoing trade routes, gorgeous personal adornments, weapons of warfare and the most precious of human trophies taken in retribution.

Watch this video taken by Bowers President Peter Keller on the island of New Britain, Papua New Guinea that features the Fire Dance Mask Festival. Several of the large spirit masks seen in this performance were collected on behalf of the museum and can be viewed in the Spirits and Headhunters exhibition.

So – YES – there was lots of gruesome stuff in this exhibit – if you have kids, they will LOVE it! …I, of course, am concentrating on the Jewelry aspect because even Headhunters adorned themselves.

…the gorgeous marbled entrance

One really great aspect at the Bowers Museum is that they don’t crowd the exhibits. There is a large open space between the two galleries and auditorium off the Garden Entrance that the Bowers uses for large pieces that can be touched.

This is an exhibit of tribal art and “spirit” boats…there is also an extremely long boat in the center of the room.