Pouvoir Et Prestige : Art Des Massues Du Pacifique

Exhibition at the Musée du quai Branly-Jacques Chirac, Paris, 8 June - 25 September 2022

"Maces", "brain-teasers", "traditional weapons": behind these simplistic names lies a category of objects that have long been confined by commonplaces and prejudices.

Through 140 works produced in the 18th and 19th centuries in Oceania, this exhibition catalogue highlights the complexity, beauty and cultural importance of these works of art, which offer an unprecedented point of entry to the cultures of the entire Pacific, from Australia to Easter Island. In particular, it examines the carvings on these weapons and their functions as symbols of rank, embodiments of divine power, commercial goods or ceremonial tools.