Mangareva. Pantheon of Polynesia.
Somogy| N° d'inventaire | 12484 |
| Format | 22 x 30 |
| Détails | 79 p., numerous illustrations, paperback with flaps. |
| Publication | Paris, 2009 |
| Etat | Nine |
| ISBN | 9782757202562 |
Unknown until 1797, discovered by Captain James Wilson, the island of Mangareva, in the heart of Polynesia, is the largest island in the Gambier archipelago. Starting in 1834, missionaries destroyed the ancestral Magarevian culture in just a few years, fortunately capturing the myths and customs of which Father Laval collected. Only twelve extraordinary wooden sculptures remain today, all made in one piece. These exceptional remains, due to their rarity, strength, and form, are unique in Polynesian sculpture. This book, which presents them together for the first time since they left their island, pays tribute, with respect and emotion, to the vanished beliefs and gods of Polynesia.
Unknown until 1797, discovered by Captain James Wilson, the island of Mangareva, in the heart of Polynesia, is the largest island in the Gambier archipelago. Starting in 1834, missionaries destroyed the ancestral Magarevian culture in just a few years, fortunately capturing the myths and customs of which Father Laval collected. Only twelve extraordinary wooden sculptures remain today, all made in one piece. These exceptional remains, due to their rarity, strength, and form, are unique in Polynesian sculpture. This book, which presents them together for the first time since they left their island, pays tribute, with respect and emotion, to the vanished beliefs and gods of Polynesia.