Papua New Guinea Culture & Society

Tim Simmons · 9th December 2009, 07:26 PM

I have been recommended-

"New Guinea Art Masterpieces Of The Jolika Collection From Marcia and John"

This is a mighty tome which I could never afford. However a book I found more useful than any "ART" focused publication is "Shields of Melanesia" Hawaii university press. There is a great deal of art with many of the shields and some cultural background. I found this book a great help in getting mind round how big PNG is and how incredibly diverse the groupings of people and customs are. The variation of shields like languages help illustrate to me how leaving your village boundary was a great risk which would most likely lead to death and being eaten. This was such an understood outcome that trade of metal although abundant in the Pacific region never travelled into the interior even in the 20th century. I am trying to build knowledge on the region by getting as many books as I can find cheaply and making cross references. I am going to the Berlin Ethnographic Museum in the new year. There is nothing like seeing the stuff for real.

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9th December 2009, 07:26 PM	#3
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,855	I have been recommended- "New Guinea Art Masterpieces Of The Jolika Collection From Marcia and John" This is a mighty tome which I could never afford. However a book I found more useful than any "ART" focused publication is "Shields of Melanesia" Hawaii university press. There is a great deal of art with many of the shields and some cultural background. I found this book a great help in getting mind round how big PNG is and how incredibly diverse the groupings of people and customs are. The variation of shields like languages help illustrate to me how leaving your village boundary was a great risk which would most likely lead to death and being eaten. This was such an understood outcome that trade of metal although abundant in the Pacific region never travelled into the interior even in the 20th century. I am trying to build knowledge on the region by getting as many books as I can find cheaply and making cross references. I am going to the Berlin Ethnographic Museum in the new year. There is nothing like seeing the stuff for real.