Oceania

With 72 items in its inventory, the Oceania collection is the museum's smallest. It brings together pieces dating from the 20th and 21st centuries, mainly from Melanesia. Our collection covers New Ireland, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Bora Bora.

Masks are used in a wide variety of contexts, including initiation rituals, exorcism ceremonies and agricultural festivals. But at the heart of this diversity, ancestor worship and the connection with the world of the dead occupy a central place, both symbolically and socially.

In terms of materials, Melanesian masks favour plant materials such as wood and plant fibres. Some are carved, others are made from woven materials.

In other regions of Oceania, body modification takes other forms, such as tattooing and scarification, which are just as meaningful as wearing masks.

Although presented here according to their continent of origin, these pieces are displayed in our exhibition from a decidedly thematic perspective, inviting new dialogues between cultures and a cross-cultural interpretation of masking practices around the world.

For the Abelam people, this tuber is much more than just food: it is a symbol of virility, life and memory. At harvest time, the finest yams are covered with colourful woven masks, like this one. The result? The yam is transformed into a hybrid being and takes the name of a deceased ancestor. Thanks to this ceremony, the harvest is assured for the following year.

This mask is made from coconut husk and features two pig's teeth. The pig with its curved teeth plays an essential role in relations between the inhabitants of Vanuatu (a society organised into ranks): each step up the social hierarchy is paid for in pork. Its value is calculated according to the length and curvature of the lower tusks, which are free to grow once the upper teeth have been removed.

Masks of this type are placed on the knees, shoulders and elbows of dancers during rank ceremonies. They are also found on funeral puppets.The geometric patterns and colours symbolise the social status of the candidate and the rank to which he belongs.