VICTORIA, BC • CANADA
Welcome to Accessories to Ceremony. This show is unusual for us in two ways: first, all the included works play a role in ritual and daily life in their respective cultures (from Papua New Guinea's Sepik, Trobriand Islands, New Ireland, & Tabar Islands); second, this collection spans much of the gallery's history, including its first years of working with Papua New Guinea artists, when we unfortunately followed the standard museum practice of inconsistently crediting individual aboriginal artists. We feel that the creators of the unattributed pieces included in this exhibition would want their work to be shown anyway, so we present it here, with apologies and thanks, beside the work of artists with whom we've worked in recent decades.
Included are a selection of instruments used for music and communication; weapons and tools, including ceremonial apparatus associated with the grinding, seasoning, and ingestion of betel nut; a dance mask, a child's toy, food and salt storage vessels, brideprice shells and jewellery, and an architectural adornment. Most of these pieces are fashioned in a very particular regional style; for comparison, we've included some pieces with the same function from different areas. As usual, we welcome questions and comments about this work.
Included are a selection of instruments used for music and communication; weapons and tools, including ceremonial apparatus associated with the grinding, seasoning, and ingestion of betel nut; a dance mask, a child's toy, food and salt storage vessels, brideprice shells and jewellery, and an architectural adornment. Most of these pieces are fashioned in a very particular regional style; for comparison, we've included some pieces with the same function from different areas. As usual, we welcome questions and comments about this work.
 
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Tree Garamut Drum Artist Unidentified (Lower Sepik) Papua New Guinea 1988 SOLD view details |
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Ceremonial Dagger (I) Niakra Kuarkle Papua New Guinea 1992 view details |
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Ceremonial Dagger (II) Artist Unidentified (Blackwater Lakes) Papua New Guinea 1996 view details |
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Short Horn Cletus Tau Papua New Guinea 1996 SOLD view details |
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Long Horn Plasios Asapi (Iatmul (sub group Kanjamali)) Papua New Guinea 1999 SOLD view details |
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Sepik Lime Container Francis Timbin (Iatmul) Papua New Guinea 1996 view details |
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Trobriand Lime Container Artist Unidentified (Trobriands) Papua New Guinea circa 1988 SOLD view details |
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Sepik Betel Nut Mortar Kambae Papua New Guinea 1999 view details |
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Trobriand Betel Nut Mortar Artist Unidentified (Trobriands) Papua New Guinea circa 1975 SOLD view details |
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Salt Bar Artist Unidentified (Highlands) Papua New Guinea circa 1979 view details |
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Canoe Prow Artist Unidentified (Middle Sepik) Papua New Guinea circa 1988 view details |
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Traditional Drill (Kaminibit Village) Artist Unidentified (Middle Sepik) Papua New Guinea 1984 view details |
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Toy Top Artist Unidentified (Upper Sepik) Papua New Guinea 1988 SOLD view details |
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Didagur Mask Artist Unidentified (Blackwater Lakes) Papua New Guinea 1989 view details |
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Cone Shell Belt Artist Unidentified (Middle Sepik) Papua New Guinea circa 1992 view details |
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Cone Shell Bracelet Artist Unidentified (Middle Sepik) Papua New Guinea circa 1984 SOLD view details |
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Ridge Tile Artist Unidentified (Aibom) Papua New Guinea 1992 view details |
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Ceremonial Bowl Artist Unidentified (Aibom) Papua New Guinea 1992 view details |
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Spear Thrower (Middle Sepik) Artist Unidentified (PNG) Papua New Guinea circa 1984 SOLD view details |
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Overmodelled Dagger Claytus Yambon (Iatmul Tribe) Papua New Guinea 1986 view details |
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Sago Storage Pot (I) Artist Unidentified (Aibom) Papua New Guinea 1992 view details |
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Double-Sided Lime Container Andrew Busha Papua New Guinea 1996 view details |
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Rooster Dagger Artist Unidentified (Sarikm Village) Papua New Guinea 1992 SOLD view details |
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Trumpet Shell Chief Joe Pezia Papua New Guinea circa 1988 view details |