Power and Prestige: The Art of Clubs in Oceania at Musée du quai Branly — Jacques Chirac
Power and Prestige
The Art of Clubs in Oceania
June 8, 2022 — September 25, 2022
For the first time, a major exhibition is devoted to the art of clubs in Oceania and looks at the many facets of exceptional yet little-known and often misjudged ethnographic objects, curated by Steven Hooper.
“Clubs,” “maces,” “traditional weapons”... behind these reductive terms lies a category of objects long confined by clichés and prejudices. At the instigation of the exhibition curator, Steven Hooper, Power and Prestige seeks to do them justice and to shine a light on the complexity, beauty, and cultural importance of these works of art which offer an insight into the cultures of the Pacific as a whole, from Australia to Easter Island. A first for an exhibition of this scale, which brings together 140 exceptional pieces conserved in public and private European collections. While acknowledging the warrior dimension and the stake of violence, both real and symbolic, associated with the clubs, the exhibition focuses particularly on highlighting the sophistication of their carving, their ornamentation, and all of the material and spiritual characteristics that make them more than just simple tools. The clubs are thus revealed as sculptures, works of art, objects of representation, symbols of authority and prestige, images and vessels of the divine, trade goods, and ceremonial instruments. Nor does the exhibition overlook the historic value of pieces alternately designated as souvenirs, trophies, ethnographic documents, and more.
The exhibition is organised by the Fondazione Giancarlo Ligabue in Venice and the musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac in Paris.
A fresh look at the many meanings and forms of the club across two centuries of Oceanic culture.
Featuring more than 150 clubs made in the 18th and 19th centuries from across a vast geographical and cultural span, Power and Prestige explores a fascinating Oceanic object form that has long been misunderstood by Western scholars. From Australia, Polynesia, Melanesia, and New Zealand to Hawaii, Easter Island, and the Marquesas Islands, carved clubs have played many roles beyond combat in Oceanic cultures. The range in the size of works presented here—from 15 inches to more than six feet, and made in materials ranging from nephrite and wood to whalebone--points to this diversity of utility and form. In this abundantly illustrated volume, essays detail the clubs' use as ritual and religious objects, mediums of exchange, status symbols, and more. Other texts break down the specific function clubs performed within each culture, as well as the symbolic meaning of the beautiful images and patterns inscribed on them.
TRIBAL ART MAGAZINE #102 — WINTER 2021
THIS IS NOT A WEAPON
Reappraising Clubs from Oceania
by Steven Hooper
This article is generously provided by Steven Hooper, Tribal Art Magazine and Alex Arthur.
