The Exotic Oceanic Wing of the Met

METROPOLITAN MUSEUM

6th - Live-in Session

OCEANIC ART

This is my favorite section of the Metropolitan. Unfortunately a section that is very overlooked as it is at the end of the building and behind the Greek and Roman Art.

It is named the Michael C. Rockefeller wing after the son of Nelson A. Rockefeller (NY Governor, vice President) who collected many of the Asmat objects from Papa New Guinea. Michael disappeared when he was only 23 years old on his second exploration trip to the Papa New Guinea. 

On November 18, 1961, Rockefeller and Dutch anthropologist René Wassing were in a 40-foot dugout canoe about three miles from shore when their double pontoon boat was swamped and overturned. Their two local guides swam for help, but it was slow in coming. After drifting for some time, Rockefeller said to Wassing "I think I can make it" and swam for shore. Wassing was rescued the next day, while Rockefeller was never seen again, despite an intensive and lengthy search effort. At the time, Rockefeller's disappearance was a major world news item. No body was found, and he was finally declared dead in 1964.

-Missing Persons, Invision Free

Kwoma Ceiling

A remade ceremonial house ceiling from the Sepik River in the northwestern New Guinea. The roof went nearly to the ground and was supported by posts and beams but without walls.

Kavat Masks still in use in the 1970's.

House Post

Sentani People, Lake Sentani

New Guinea, 19th Century

Most of the art from Oceania comes from the last 400 years, especially since they were primarily made out wood and would disappear and rotten over time. This Y-shaped roof supporter is made from one piece of trunk and then architecturally engraved.
I immediately began a dream about having this done to a tree myself. Cut a tree down through the roots and then invert it to a post. Incredibly inventive!

Headdress effigy (Hareiga)

This was carried on top of the heads of the Papa New Guinea dancers. Sometimes they could be about 50 feet (15 meter). This one is huge in reality, I can't imagine anybody dancing with it.

Asmat Bis Poles

Created as focal points of a memorial feast honoring ancestors and people that recently died. Every pole has a name, and here is the extreme part; A death is said to be caused by an enemy and created an imbalance that had to be corrected, so after a numerous of deaths the male elders staged a Bis feast, that was held in a conjunction with a headhunting raid! 

Two figures (Nggwalndu)

Abelam poeple,

Sepik region, Papa New Guinea

19th- early 20th century

Body Masks

Mask (Buk Krar, or Kara)

Torres Strait Islander people, Mabulag Island

Mid to late 19th Century.

Turtle shell, Wood, fiber, feathers, shell

A turtle shell mask was usually used in a funeral ceremony and increase rites, designed to ensure bountiful harvests and and abundance of fish and game. This was often reenacted events from the lives of culture-heroes.

Ancestor figure

Sawos people, Papa New Guinea, 

19th Century or earlier

Headrest (Amba Ragat)

Iatmul people, Aibom village

Papua New Guinea, 19th Century

Water drum (?)

Baby Carrier (Ba')

Borneo, Indonesia

late 19th early 20th century

The baby is carried in the baby carrier until they are two, here the infants soul is being protected from danger. The Kenya/Kayan people believed the child's soul was not firmly attached to its body yet. It could be lured away by spirits, sickness or death. The rattling sounds made by teeth, beads and other amulets attached to the baby carrier repel malevolent spirits that threaten the child inside.

Gable Figure (Dilukal)

Belauan people, Caroline Islands

19th - early 20th century

In the mens house Bai where they had meetings feasts and informal gatherings, they had painted architectural carvings. In som Bai's they had a Dilukal a carved figure of a woman attached to the gable above the entrance. In some oral traditions:

Dilukai is the name of the sister of Atmatuyuk a troublesome man who fled to a Bai with her and was later expelled. To prevent his return, the residents placed a naked image of Dilukai over the entrance, it being forbidden for a brother to see his sister unclothed. 

Men's Ear Ornaments (Batling)

Ilongot people, northern Luzon Islan, Philippines,

late 19th-early 20th century.

Ear ornaments 

Ono Niha people, Nias Island

19th century

Puppet (Si Gale-gale)

Toba Batak people, Sumatra, Indonesia

It is hard to leave the Oceanic world filled with its strong rituals and mysteries. 

Let me know how you feel when you go there, it is absolutely another of New York's Treasures! And one that hits you in the gut!

With Love

Kristin

Previous "Live - In" Sessions at the Met:

1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th.

Ancient Near East

Cylinder seals and modern impression

Mesopotamia

around 14th Century B.C.

Metropolitan Museum

Cradle of Civilization

5th "Live-in" session

Again I had a guided tour, this time to the Ancient Near East. A section rather small on the second floor that otherwise I don't think would have kept my attention for very long. But together with four other enthusiastic learners, among them a young hipster from Singapore who impressed with his added knowledge and a wonderful volunteer who was enthusiastically telling us about the "Cradle of Civilization" it ended up being a great extended hour filled with wonders.

Look at the above seals, these little cylinders had a persons symbolized story on it and by rolling it over it became their signature. They would usually hang it around their neck so it could be used at all time, like a form of identification, amazing.

Map of Mesopotamia

Tablets in Clay

Mesopotamia

Ca. 2000-3000 B.C.

The top tablet is early writing about wheat and barley quantities. The Mesopotamian land had a rich soil and was easy to farm and barley was often used as payment to the workers. Early on they learned how to control the rivers for irrigation. Flooding though could be extremely destructive and put a lot of stress on the people. They reached for the Gods for help. The temple was the God of the city and the main job of the ruler was to nourish the relationship with the Gods.

This little figure has it's face covered by its offering, so you are interestingly forced to look at it from it's side. Seemingly something common from what I saw, most of the pieces looked best from the side.

the entrance to the Northwest Palace 

of Ashurnasirpal II At Nimrud

883-859 B.C.

 If you ever go and look at these horse/humans guarding the palace, look at the legs. The horses has five legs so it would look beautiful from both the front and the side.

Part of the wall inside the castle

The Professional way

Babylon

glazed Lion panel

(1792-1750 B.C.)

From the panels leading through the massive gate from the Temple of Marduk (city god of Babylon) to the Bit Akitu, the temple of the New Years festival.

Vessel terminating in the forepart of a 

fantastic iconine creature

Gold/Iran

Achaemenid period, 5th century B.C.

Gorgeous vessel probably belonging to an Achaemenid King.

Striding figure with ibex horns, a raptor skin draped around the shoulders and upturned boots

Arsenical copper

Iran or Mesopotamia

ca. 3000 B.C.

Created around the time of the first Sumerian cities emerged, when the figures began to represent more the human shape. With the triple belt and the beard this one is supposed to represent a royal or divine human being. Quite a bit of a demonic looking royal i would say.

Statue of Gudea

Diorite

Mesopotamia 

Ca. 2150 B.C.

This figure makes me think of peace. The seated pose with the hands folded is a traditional gesture of greeting and attentiveness. Parts of the inscription says:

"Gudea, the man who built the temple, may his life be long"

Head of a ruler

Arsenical copper

Iran (?)

2300-2000 B.C.

To read more about this head and theories of it being Ur-Namma here: 

Sumerian Shakespeare.

You will notice my picture:)

 

The Royal Cemetery at Ur

(ca. 2600-2200 B.C.)

In these burial cites (part of hundreds) that probably belonged to the royal family of Ur, the deceased were buried with male and female guards and attendants in full dress and with chariots drawn by equids and oxen. A great source for illuminating life and customs in Sumer. I think the rest of the burial site is in Pennsylvania and at the British Museum.

Vessel stand with ibex support

Copper alloy, inlaid with shell and lapis lazuli

Mesopotamia

(Early Dynastic III 2600-2350 B.C.)

This stand was probably used for incense or offerings at a ritual.

Seated female

steatite or chlorite, limestone

Central Asia (Bactria-Margiana)

Late 3rd-early 2nd millennium B.C.

She is wearing a voluminous sheepskin robe, I adore this little figure of divinity.

Statuette of a female

Ceramic

Northwestern Iran, Caspian region

(Early 1st millenium B.C.)

Do you remember the Cycladic female? with the large wonderful buttocks. The Caspians put it all in the hips:)

Quiver plaque with animals and mythological scenes

Bronze

Western Iran

(Early 1st millenium B.C.)

A gorgeous sword scabbard.

Vessel fragment in the form of nude female

Ceramic, paint

Southwestern Iran

Neo-Elamite period (8th - 7th Century B.C.)

I had a sigh of relief when I noticed this one. Somehow a little humor and sensuality does not hurt while you are out to learn.

Clothing from a horseman along the Silk Road

The Silk Road was the trade routes that connected the East, South and Western Asia with the Mediterranean world, also North and Northeast Africa and Europe. The word stemming from Chinese silk trade from over 3000 years back in time.

Next up in the "Live-in Sessions" is the Oceanic Room and I can´t wait to tell you all about it. Impressive!

With Love 

Kristin

Cesnola, the Cultural Criminal

Limestone head of a bearded man

Cypriotic, Archaic, early 6th Century B.C.

Said to be from Golgoi

THE CESNOLA COLLECTION

From early bronze age to the end of antiquity

Cyprotic Art

Should I have started my "Live-in" Sessions at the Met chronologically, the Cesnola collection would be the right place to begin. With that I mean, one of the first official collections that the Metropolitan began with.

Luigi Palma di Cesnola 1832-1904

Cesnola was a self-proclaimed General when he was sent as an American consul to the Cyprotic Islands. An opportunist that had been arrested during the war among the States for trying to create mutiny by attempting to lure the regiments troops away to fight under him. 

At first he hated being in Cypros, but then he met the English consul and found out that there was an abundance of ancient relics of Greek, Egyptian, Persian and Arabian heritage buried there. Cesnola quickly turned himself into an archeologist and dealer, and later he was looking for a home for his loot.

A home it found, the New York Historical society had made their intentions clear to establish a museum and art Gallery for the public in Central Park in the 1860's.

By 1872 the Museum opened and in 1873 the collection of Cesnola and also the Blodgett paintings (174 European paintings, only 64 is still in the Metropolitans collection, the rest seen as fakes and copies) opened to the general public. But the building as we know it in Central Park did not "finish" before 1902, since then there has been many extensions and changes. Maybe the reason why the building can be a puzzle to go through sometimes.
With this collection, Cesnola also managed to wiggle himself in to become the first Director of the Metropolitan Museum from 1879 until his death in 1904.

The Cesnola Collection is now considered the most important and comprehensive of Cypriotic Art.

Terracotta flask

Cypriot, Cypro-Geometric III

Black on Red I

Ca. 850-750 B.C.

 Terracotta Jug

Cypriot, Cypro-Archaic II

ca. 600- 480 B.C.

Terracotta trick vase

Cypriot, Cypro-Archaic I

ca. 750-600 B.C.

Said to be from Episkopi

I just had to show you these two vases with female "attributes" Incredible? It feels wonderful to have a quick little giggle while you watch such a serious collection.

Marble anthropoid sarcophagus

Graeco-Phoenician, Classical,

last quarter of the 5th Century B.C.

Simple and few human features, but you still can see it is supposed to be a female sarcophagus with the long locks.

Limestone Herakles

Cypriot, Archaic, ca 530-520 B.C.

Herakles was important to the Cypriotic people, he was the only Greek hero that was accepted by the Gods.

Roman Jewelry

Gold and amethyst earrings and ring

1st century A.D.

This last picture comes out a bit dark so it is hard to see the gorgeous purple amethyst. But, hopefully you can imagine it?

I am reading the book "Rogue Gallery" by Michael Gross right now, a book describing the History of the Metropolitan. Not always to the Metropolitan´s liking. The book is not sold in their shop...

"Cesnola is remembered, if all, as a cultural criminal who looted and pillaged and stole not just objects but an irreplaceable opportunity to learn about the past. On Cyprus, his is considered a rapist who thought his victims lesser beings who didn't appreciate their own culture..." (page 64)

Pretty rough telling about the first Director of our beloved Metropolitan. 

"Behind almost every painting is a fortune

and behind that a sin or a crime"

With this I will leave you to continue reading in "Rouges Gallery" More updates to follow:)

With Love

Kristin