LOINCLOTH

Admiralty Islands, Bismarck Archipelago, Melanesia
H. 56 cm

Vegetable fibers, shell beads, red pearl and seeds

 

The Admiralty Islands are marked by an incredible linguistic diversity. Indeed, the few thousand islanders speak 27 different languages. However, the analysis of the different societies was based not on an ethnolinguistic analysis of the region, but on the productive and commercial system that they established. According to the classification first suggested by Richard Parkinson and later refined by Alfred Bülher, four main groups can be distinguished. Each of these groups produces goods that they exchange either for subsistence reasons or on the occasion of various events, births, marriages or deaths being marked by the most sumptuous exchanges.
The production of these goods is very specialized, to the point that ornaments, wooden cups, or other ceremonial objects could be subject to manufacturing monopolies, defended if necessary by force. This specialization in the manufacture of objects can be linked to access to a natural resource such as obsidian, allowing the realization of spears, or clay, used for pottery. These customs of production and exchange, despite the diversity of populations and their cultures, are at the origin of a generalized dissemination of objects which has made the Admiralty Islands the most homogeneous artistic ensemble of the Bismarck Archipelago. The use of these types of loincloths gives rise to several interpretations, but the cone shells forming this apron constitute prestigious currency and make this object an ornament of very great value.

 

Photo © Hughes Dubois

Get access to the latest exhibitions and galleries on OASIS

Please leave your message and details below so the Gallery may get in touch with you.

To get in touch and create your own virtual gallery, please contact us:

Or leave us a message:

About the project

OASIS is the first immersive platform for the art world.

Designed specifically for collectors and art lovers, this revolutionary digital platform offers a unique experience to discover, learn, and collect artworks by exploring 3D spaces of renowned galleries.

We strive to create a dialogue between collectors and galleries of various disciplines such as design, contemporary, modern, ancient, and tribal art.

OASIS is the quintessence of the best online technologies.
An immersive experience that represents the internet of tomorrow for today’s collector.
A new world opens up to you.

Experience Art like never before.

The OASIS Team