OAS Forum at the Savage Club, Melbourne
By Jim Elmslie Dr. Ross Bowden gave an overview of the Savage Club collection, noting that very little documentation exists concerning the origins of the works but that most are …
OAS Journal | Online
Mugus – the terrible blind god, the lord of pigs – a unique sculpture from Papua New Guinea
By Crispin Howarth, Curator, Pacific Arts, National Gallery of Australia Since the mid-1920s, this masterpiece of Oceanic sculpture with its gently twisting elongated torso, oversized hands and stout powerful legs …
Fijian Gods, The Fair and The Forum
After a very successful Tribal Art Fair Sydney, eyes, minds and tastebuds are turning eagerly toward Melbourne. This year’s OAS Forum is to be held at the iconic Savage Club, …
Fijian Gods, Sacred Objects and Temples
NEXT LECTURE Wednesday 20 September 2017 – OAS Lecture 6:30 arrival, 7:00 lecture in The Centenary Auditorium, Art Gallery of NSW. Refreshments available afterwards in the Art Gallery cafe and …
Stoned – Lithic Technology of the Ancient Polynesians
Lecture to Oceanic Art Society, Sydney, 19 July 2017. Mark Blackburn’s talk on the lithic technology of the ancient Polynesians at the Australian Museum on 19 July 2017 was educational …
Tribal Art Fair Sydney – 2017 | A great success, our best yet!
The Tribal Art Fair Sydney-2017 held this year at the Masonic Hall in Kensington was even better than last year having twice the number of visitors. Sydney kindly put on …
The Art of Warfare in Papua New Guinea
By Clémentine Débrosse, Pacific Arts volunteer, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra Traditionally, warfare was one of the most important actions of a man’s life in Papua New Guinea. It was …
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor – Part VII
by Barry Craig. Continued from OAS OAS Journal Vol.22 No.3. In this issue of the OAS Journal, I provide more details of Harry’s service with the AN&MEF and a sample …
Pacific Presences: Current Research into Oceanic art and European Museums
By Dr Erna Lilje, Research Associate For some decades, museums have had to reflect upon and re-imagine what they do and for whom. Museums that hold ethnographic collections have become …
Oceanic Encounters Through Time and Space
This edition of the OAS Journal once again traverses through time and space exploring aspects of Pacific cultures, from the first contact made by Captain James Cook in Hawaii to …
STONED – Lithic Technology of the Ancient Polynesians
NEXT LECTURE Wednesday, July 19, Australian Museum, 6.30 for 7.00pm. OAS & Australian Museum members $25, others $35, includes substantial refreshments and wine. Mark Blackburn will be presenting a lecture …
Patterns in Beaded Aprons of Cenderawasih (Geelvink) Bay – Symbols of Cultural Beliefs
Patterns in Beaded Aprons of Cenderawasih (Geelvink) Bay – Symbols of Cultural Beliefs by Professor Peter McCabe, University of Adelaide Aprons of varying styles have traditionally been worn throughout New …
Between Worlds: A new musical theatre work reimagining James Cook’s encounter with the Hawai’ians
Between Worlds: A new musical theatre work reimagining James Cook’s encounter with the Hawai’ians by Nick Higginbotham James Cook’s 18th Century voyages of discovery brought home an unparalleled wealth of …
The Mariwai Project
by Shiva Lynn Burgos I have recently been on an expedition of discovery into the rites, rituals and arts of the Kwoma people of Mariwai village, Papua New Guinea. The …
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor – Part VI
by Barry Craig. Continued from OAS Journal Vol.21 No.5. In this issue of the OAS Journal, I provide more details of Harry’s service with the AN&MEF and a sample of …
While Admiring the Ancient the OAS Also Embraces the New
The OAS has shifted gear under the energetic leadership of our new president, Bill Rathmell, who has revitalised the main OAS committee and various sub-committees working on the website, the …
Indigenous perspectives in The National 2017: new Australian art
NEXT LECTURE Wednesday 17 May 2017 – OAS Lecture, in the Centenary Auditorium, Art Gallery of NSW, 6:30 – 8pm. Free. Anneke Jaspers – Curator, Contemporary Art at the Art …
The Reverend Fellows Collection of Trobriand Art
A report on Crispin Howarth’s OAS Lecture, by Jim Elmslie The ‘lost’ collection of Massim art of the late Methodist missionary, the Reverend Samuel Fellows, lay undisturbed beneath the family …
Axel Bojsen-Møller – Globetrotter, the wreck of the Monsoon and the first New Guinea expedition
By Leif Birger Holmstedt The Department of Ethnography at the Danish National Museum has one of the largest and finest collections in the world of artifacts from Oceania, Melanesia and …
Gottfried Lindauer’s New Zealand The Maori Portraits
Edited by Ngahiraka Mason and Zara Stanhope. Auckland University Press in association with Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki, 20l6. Reviewed by Marina Garlick This splendid tome complements a fascinating …
Illustrated Catalogue of Ethnographical Specimens Photographic Reference
By W. D. Webster. Review by Crispin Howarth William Downing Webster (1868 – 1913) began collecting and dealing in arms, armour and ethnographic material from the 1890s until his death. …
A New President as Oceanic Exhibitions Thrive
The Oceanic Art Society is very pleased to announce the election of a new President, Dr. Bill Rathmell. Bill, and his wife, Noelle, have had a long association with the …
The Moon, the Stars and the Demon Shrimp
Peter McCabe will be presenting a lecture on: The Moon, the Stars and the Demon Shrimp: Deciphering Patterns in Beaded Aprons of Geelvink Bay, North West New Guinea A little …
New Britain art in the Melanesian Gallery
By Crispin Howarth, Curator Pacific Arts, NGA The majority of the National Gallery’s Pacific Arts collection comes from Papua New Guinea; the newly reinstalled Melanesian gallery reflects this with arts …