Uli figures
These figures were central to the solemnising and commeroration of the dead, where their ornamental painting was refreshed and their eyes, crafted from snail shells, exchanged for new ones.
New Ireland, Papua New Guinea; 1
8th/19th ct.
Artists: unknown
Wood, coconut fiber, turbo petholatus, vegetable putty, pigments. putty, pigments
Linden-Museum Stuttgart, photo: Dominik Drasdow
Malagan sculpture
In northern New Ireland, the motif of a man devoured by a fish is a common image used to symbolically represent death. The carving of the section behind the fins of the fish indicates that the carving may have been part of a larger whole.
Nusa, New Ireland, Papua New Guinea
Early 20th century, artist: unknown
Wood, pigments, turbo petholatus, vegetable putty
Collection F. W. Eberhardt, 1906, inv. no. 47131
Linden-Museum Stuttgart, photo: Anatol Dreyer
Neck rest
A common form of neck rest from the Geelvink Bai area of western New Guinea depicts two anthropomorphic korwar figures supporting a resting surface. Korwars represent individual ancestors who are considered protective beings of the living.
Cenderawasih Bay (Geelvink Bai), Western New Guinea; early 20th ct.
Artist: unknown
wood, glass beads, vegetable putty
Coll. Paul Kibler, 1930; inv. no. 110671
Linden-Museum Stuttgart, photo: Dominik Drasdow
Te Wharepuni a Maui
The carvings of this small-scale model house were created in 1905 by Tene Waitere working alongside the carvers Neke Kapua and Eramiha Kapua. In terms of its architecture, proportions, as well as artistic details, the house corresponds to a large meeting house Wharenui.
Aotearoa New Zealand; 1905
Commissioned work for Thomas E. Donne; purchased by the museum in 1912
Copyright: Linden-Museum Stuttgart, photo: Dominik Drasdow
Chest and head ornaments
Jewelry discs with tortoise shell overlay were an adornment of men in the Admiralty Islands and were worn as chest or hair ornaments. Often the shell discs have incised decoration all around.
Admiralty Islands, Papua New Guinea
around 1900, maker: unknown
Tridacna gigas, tortoise shell, plant fiber
Collection Otto Stoerk, inv. no. 64045
Linden-Museum Stuttgart, photo: Dominik Drasdow
Neck rest
Neck rests from the Sepik area often consist of a carved wooden support surface to which legs made of bent sections of rotang are attached. The design of the resting surfaces shows, among other things, human faces and stylized crocodile and bird heads.
Aitape, north coast, Papua New Guinea; before 1900
Artist: unknown
wood, rotang, nassa snail, pigment
coll. Albert Hahl; inv. no. 4462
Copyright Linden-Museum Stuttgart, photo Dominik Drasdow
Open today
10 am – 5 pm
Oceania - Continent of Islands
Since humans discovered and settled the Pacific island worlds thousands of years ago, there have been manifold connections between the widely scattered land areas in the largest ocean on earth. The exhibition presents everyday tools and works of art, shows common and special features from almost all regions of the Pacific.
Boat models from Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia testify to the importance of the sea for trade and communication among neighbours and over long distances. Sculptures and masks from New Guinea as well as the Bismarck Archipelago refer to religion and a unique ceremonial art. Another highlight of the exhibition is a carved house from Aotearoa/New Zealand, which stands not least for the continuous history of art and design everywhere in Oceania. In addition, the exhibition focuses on textiles, their meaning and their materials, as well as on body adornment and tattooing in the past and present.
Interactive media address questions of provenance research, museum order and museum work. Information on the acquisition history of individual collections focuses on the colonial period, which brought great social and political upheaval for the people of Oceania, but was also marked by enduring social and cultural self-assertion.
Admission: EUR 4.00/3.00 / Families: EUR 8.00
Sponsored by:
Collections online
Collections online offers you open virtual access to the holdings of the Linden Museum Stuttgart. Here you will find detailed information, interesting stories and background information on objects and cultures from all over the world.