Living Spirits With Fixed Abodes

OntheeveofPapuaNewGuinea'sattainmentofindependencefromAustralia,theChiefMinister,MichaelSomare,referredtothenewnation'sculturaltreasuresas'livingspiritswithfixedabodes'.HewasreferringtotheprevailingbeliefofPapuaNewGuineansthateverythingisinvestedwithspirit,notleasttheobjectscarved,modelledorconstructedforceremonial,andofteneveryday,use.In1977,thePapuaNewGuineaNationalMuseumandArtGallerymovedintoanewbuildinglocatednextto,butconstructedbefore,theNationalParliament.Thenewnationadoptedaconstitution,thepreambletowhichasserts:We,thepeopleofPapuaNewGuinea...payhomagetothememoryofourancestors...[and]acknowledgetheworthycustomsandtraditionalwisdomsofourpeople...Thustheculturalheritageofthenationwasgivenaveryhighpriority.Exhibitionsatthenewmuseumbuilding;weredevelopedtoshowtheprehistoryofthepeople,someofthemorestrikingnaturalheritage,andaselectionofthemostsignificantculturaltreasuresweregivenprideofplaceinthecentral-exhibitionhall.TheMasterpiecesExhibitionremainsinplacetodayandthisbookgivesthereaderathoroughaccountofeachofthe209objectsondisplay.TheIntroductionbyBarryCraigaformerCuratoroftheNationalMuseum,aimstogivethenon-PapuaNewGuineanreaderageneralideaofthesignificanceoftheseobjectsandhowtheyaretobeunderstood.TwochaptersbyMarkBusse,alsoaformerCurator,provideabriefhistoryofthemuseumandoutlineitsfunctions.AchapterontheroleofthemuseuminforgingnationalidentityisprovidedbySoroiMarepoEoe,formerCuratorandDirectoroftheNationalMuseumtothepresenttime.CraighaswrittenthechapterontheMasterpieces,settingtheseimportantworksintheirlocalcontextwithhistoricalandfieldphotographs.AnAppendixprovidesawindowintothehistoryandrepresentativenessoftheNationalMuseum'sentirecollectionofwellover35,000pieces.Indexesgivethereadertoolswith-whichtoexplorearangeoftopicssuchaswheretheexhibitionobjectshavecomefrom,whocollected,gaveorsoldthemtothemuseum,andwhowereresponsibleforthecontextualphotographs.Aseriesofmapslocateseveryplacementionedinthetext.Itisevidentthatsuchanexhibition,andthebookarisingfromit,isaresultoftheindividualandcollectiveeffortsofalargenumberofpeople.Thirtyyearsafterthebirthofthenation,thisbookreaffirmsthecentralsignificanceofthetraditionalworkscreatedtohousethespirits.BarryCraigobtainedhisBA(HonsAnthrop),DipEdandMA(HonsAnthrop)attheUniversityofSydney.HisinterestinmaterialcultureandartofNewGuineawasinspiredbythelateBryanCranstoneoftheBritishMuseum.HisMaster'sthesis,'HouseboardsandWarshieldsoftheMountainOk'waspublishedinsummaryformin1988.During1980-83hewasCuratorofAnthropologyatthePapuaNewGuineaNationalMuseum,andwasappointedCuratorofForeignEthnologyattheSouthAustralianMuseuminAdelaidein1995.In1997hewasawardedaPhDinVisualArtsatFlindersUniversityforhisthesisonthecollection,documentationandpreservationofthematerialculturalheritageofPapuaNewGuinea.