Tridacna gigas. Prestige objects in Melanesia from the Lapita period to the headhunters, and up to the present day.
In the wind of the islands| N° d'inventaire | 22201 |
| Format | 24 x 30 |
| Détails | 278 p., numerous illustrations and color plates, bound under dust jacket. |
| Publication | Papeete, reissue 2024 |
| Etat | Nine |
| ISBN | 9782367344225 |
An exceptional material, the fossil clam gave rise to unique and eminently precious objects, prized by men of power in Melanesia. To maintain the prerogatives due to their social position, the latter had to display unusual insignia. Unlike wooden sculptures, the fossil clam resists degradation over time, it favored for many generations the donation of these invaluable goods from father to son, which helped to nourish the divine character of certain objects. The difficulty of the time in acquiring such pieces has reverberated and amplified today. This shortage explains why for a long time these objects were ignored by Westerners and why today so few prototypes remain in collections. This book is intended to restore them to the place they deserve in the pantheon of Oceanic works of art.
An exceptional material, the fossil clam gave rise to unique and eminently precious objects, prized by men of power in Melanesia. To maintain the prerogatives due to their social position, the latter had to display unusual insignia. Unlike wooden sculptures, the fossil clam resists degradation over time, it favored for many generations the donation of these invaluable goods from father to son, which helped to nourish the divine character of certain objects. The difficulty of the time in acquiring such pieces has reverberated and amplified today. This shortage explains why for a long time these objects were ignored by Westerners and why today so few prototypes remain in collections. This book is intended to restore them to the place they deserve in the pantheon of Oceanic works of art.