#bkmpacificart

[brooklynmuseum]

Today we celebrate the start of Matariki, Māori New Year. Matariki (also known as the Pleiades) is a constellation that appears in the New Zealand skies in mid-winter. According to the Māori lunar calendar, the appearance of Matariki on the horizon signals the end of one year and the beginning of the next. Today, Matariki is a time for people across Aotearoa (New Zealand) to celebrate, tell stories, share food, and remember their ancestors.

This carved lintel, called a pare or korupe, signifies the importance of transition. It was likely placed above a door of a wharenui (meeting house) where it marked the transition from the exterior realm of conflict to the interior realm of peace. The central female figure is flanked by two manaia, beings with human, lizard, and bird features that are said to cross between the human and spirit worlds.

Posted by Meghan Bill Maori. Door lintel (Pare or Korupe), ca. 1850. Wood, paua shell,. Brooklyn Museum, Frank L. Babbott Fund and Carll H. de Silver Fund, 61.126. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)

[brooklynmuseum]

May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and we’ll be celebrating the occasion by highlighting a few artworks from our permanent collection made by Asian and Pacific artists.

Lei niho palaoa are made of a continuous strand of human hair which is finely braided and threaded through a sperm whale tooth pendant. Historically, lei niho palaoa were worn exclusively by both male and female ali‘i (high chiefs). Trade with whalers and travelers in the 19th century prompted the spread of ornaments like this to far-flung places in Europe and the United States, often with little or no understanding of their original contexts. An unknown collector incorrectly identified this as a “Sorcerer's Necklace from Tahiti”, and this misidentification has become part of its history.

Posted by Meghan Bill Hawaiian. Necklace (Lei Niho Palaoa), early 19th century. Human hair, sperm whale tooth, fiber, pigment, 14 x 7 x 2 1/2 in. (35.6 x 17.8 x 6.4 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Museum Collection, X839.3. Creative Commons-BY

[brooklynmuseum]

Are these real tusks? Research in the conservation lab is often focused on identifying materials like ivory and bone. It can be difficult to determine the source of decorative material once it has been incorporated into a work of art but protections and regulations on the transport of these materials have made it increasingly important that they are correctly identified by museums.

This Pacific Island headdress features curved tusks that have been integrated into the design. Because the tusks are whole and incorporated in their entirety, tracing their origin is relatively straightforward. Conservators work with a reference library of materials to compare under the microscope. More advanced analytical techniques can be used in some instances to provide more specific information on the species of animal the materials came from. 

X-rays show the inner structure of the tusks, which are actually large teeth, and have hollow interiors where the blood and nerves once were. These tusks likely came from wild boar on the island of Tomman where this headdress was made.

Posted by Kate Wight Tyler

[brooklynmuseum]

If you ask someone to name five artists, they will likely name prominent male artists, but how many people can list five women artists? Throughout March’s Women’s History Month, we will be joining institutions around the world to answer this very question posed by the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NWMA). Together we hope to draw attention to the gender imbalance in the art world, inspire conversation and awareness, and hopefully add a few more women’s names to everyone’s lists.

Lisa Reihana is a multimedia artist of Māori (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hine, Ngāi Tu) descent from Aotearoa (New Zealand). Her Digital Marae series reimagines Māori ancestors and folk heroes—like the Māori fire goddess Mahuika depicted here—to digitally carve a new kind of marae (a Māori meeting place and community center). Because marae carving is usually done by men, these works allow Reihana to navigate a traditionally male realm of art to revitalize the power of Māori ancestors. She was recently chosen to represent New Zealand at the 2017 Venice Biennale. 

Can you name #5WomenArtists?