Journey Around the World: Oceania

Holmes Museum Updated Hours

The Museum is open Fall and Spring semesters, Monday-Friday from 1:00-5:00 or by appointment. During winter break and during the summer, the museum will be open by appointment only. Admission is free but donations are accepted. If you would like to visit or schedule a tour please call 316-978-7068 or email holmes.museum@wichita.edu holmes.museum@wichita.edu.

Oceania

Headdress with metal base wrapped in a red cloth decorated with iridescent, green, and brown feathers on top.

Men's Costume Headdress

Takepace, Alor Island, Indonesia

Metal, cloth, feathers

Metal base wrapped in red cloth decorated with iridescent, green and brown feathers.

Martin Collection

2009.07.004a Lowell D. Holmes Museum of Anthropology

Carved black wooden staff crest. A band in the center is covered with black and white woven straw.

Staff Crest

Guam

Wood

Carved black wooden staff crest. Band covered with black and white woven straw.

Norrod Collection

1983.02.005 Lowell D. Holmes Museum of Anthropology

Dart made of metal and wood wrapped with bands of orange, green, yellow, and off-white threads.

Blowgun Dart

Philippines

Metal, wood

Dart made of metal and wood wrapped with bands of orange, green, yellow and off-white threads. Made to fit in one of four positions in the blowgun.

Norrod Collection

1983.02.009 Lowell D. Holmes Museum of Anthropology

Shell Currency

Papua New Guinea

These beads were meticulously made by women in the communities. Due to the time and expertise in making them, they were not made in excess and therefore held their value. They were once commonly used similarly to coin money.

Shell necklace with three ornaments made of seed shells and teeth at the bottom.

Necklace (Shell Currency)

Ferguson Island, Papua New Guinea

Shell, plant fiber, teeth

Shell money necklace. Three beaded bangles with seed shells and teeth.

Billings Collection

2012.10.018 Lowell D. Holmes Museum of Anthropology

Large half-moon-shaped shell with attached woven bast string and vegetal fibers.

Kina Necklace (Shell Currency)

Papua New Guinea

Shell, plant fiber

Large half moon shaped shell on woven bast string and vegetal fibers with smaller shells that fastens with knot and loop to create a necklace.

Martin Collection

2007.02.001 Lowell D. Holmes Museum of Anthropology

Shell necklace with a large shell in the center that has tassels hanging off that have shells on them.

Cowrie Shell Necklace (Shell Currency)

Ferguson Island, Papua New Guinea

Shell, plant fibers

Rectangular cowrie shells are attached with tiny shells to create a rim along the bottom of the cowrie. The top is attached to two strings of circular flat beads that create the necklace portion.

Billings Collection

2012.10.049 Lowell D. Holmes Museum of Anthropology

Wooden carved club decorated with diamond check pattern. The end of the club is wrapped in twisted fiber cord.

War Club (Maziko/U. Rala)

Fiji

Wood and plant fiber

This rare ceremonial item played a role in identifying prestige in the community. In Fiji, the club is known as Maziko or U. Rala. This type of hand carved club was very highly regarded and thought of as the most important of weapons. This club is uniquely carved of a large single piece of wood and decorated by engravings and highlighted using rubbed lime. The handle is carefully wrapped with natural fiber cord twisted by hand.

Jerry Martin Collection

2017.06.001 Lowell D. Holmes Museum of Anthropology

Three flat carved arrows.

Arrows

Jakarta, Indonesia Wood

Three carved wooden arrows

Dani Irian Jaya Collection

1993.02.005 a, d, & e Lowell D. Holmes Museum of Anthropology

Curved gourd with attached strings.

Penis Shield

New Guinea Highland

Gourd, plant fibers

Gourd penis cover wrapped with woven plant material with bast string strap. Used by males to cover oneself

Jerry Martin Highland New Guinea Collection

2005.07.002 Lowell D. Holmes Museum of Anthropology

Circular bark cloth made of flattened wood. The bark has a black, red, and maroon-colored design on a tan background. Black straight and squiggly lines radiate out from designs.

Bark Cloth (Siapo)

Samoa

Wood, paint

Siapo is the Samoan word for cloth made from the bark of the Paper Mulberry Tree. It is one of Samoa's oldest art forms.

Circular siapo with black, red and maroon colored designs on a neutral background.

Holmes Collection

2007.18.020 Lowell D. Holmes Museum of Anthropology

Mortar and pestle made of dark carved wood. Mortar featured a face design in the cente

Mortar and Pestle

Trobriand Island, Papua New Guinea Wood, shell

Mortar and pestle used to pound betel nuts before chewing. Made from carved ebony wood, decorated with peor shell.

Lawes Collection

1978.02.018 a & b Lowell D. Holmes Museum of Anthropology

Container features a carving of a bird which then connects with a fish design. Both have black, orange, white, and red paint. A handle made of straw and painted over orange is in the middle.

Lime Container and Lid

Sepik River, Papua New Guinea

Wood, plant fiber

The lid is a plug like is carved in a bird shape that joins with the container carved as a fish. This type of container is used to hold betel nut mixed with lime that is then chewed similar to tobacco or khat which are all stimulants and mild hallucinogens.

Rob Swinson Collection

2015.08.001 a & b Lowell D. Holmes Museum of Anthropology

Paper puppet of a woman with long braided hair and wearing a red dress. The puppet has elongated arms attached to sticks that can move the puppet.

Shadow Puppet (Wayang Kuilt)

Java, Republic of Indonesia

Water buffalo hide, wood, paint

This puppet is from the performing arts practice of Wayang Kulit. In these performances the puppets were rear projected using a flame or electric light. The narratives present in the theater would commonly depict rituals and lessons while entertaining viewers. Javanese shadow puppet of a woman. Movable arms are attached to tortoise shell sticks, the third stick is used to support the body of the puppet.

Javanese Shadow Puppet Collection

1996.06.001 Lowell D. Holmes Museum of Anthropology