79 Pacific. The west mezzanine, which had been removed for the 1961 renovation, was restored for this installation. Finally in 1980, the Polynesian Hall featured Chiefs and Big Men, an exhibit featuring the museum’s collection of Polynesian, Melanesian, and Micronesian artifacts. This lasted for twenty years until it was displaced by the recent renovation. Those who remember the space only from this less-than-optimal phase of its existence are in for a surprise when they see what is now called the Pacific Hall. Now restored to its Victorian appearance, the renovated two-floor gallery explores the origins, cultures, and values of Pacific peoples and the migrations and settlement of the Pacific Islands with forty-two cases of exhibits. Among these are archaeological findings, many of them never exhibited before, along with objects of beauty and power that tell the rich stories of Pacific peoples. Visual highlights included a powerful Tahitian mourning costume collected during Cook’s voyages (fig. 7), a trio of imposing wooden slit drums from Vanuatu (fig. 6), and a full-scale fishing canoe with outrigger and sail from Fiji. Cases are dedicated to aspects of Polynesian daily life, such as food pounders, fishhooks, tattoo implements, and model canoes. While more didactic than aesthetically oriented, the installation is peppered with masterpieces of Pacific art. The installation prominently displays key artifacts and objects uncovered during the museum’s archeological expeditions (fig. 11), through which it presents a new perspective on the history of Pacific migration. This is supported by groundbreaking new data that revises the timeline of Pacific settlement, a result of the advancements made in the scientific techniques of archaeology, linguistics, and DNA testing. Complementing the artifacts on display are vibrant contemporary artworks made by peoples from different parts of the Pacific (fig. 5), and several media presentations now bring images and voices of the Pacific into the hall. The Pacific Hall Restoration and Renovation Project was led by a team of design and cultural experts from the Bishop Museum working with world-renowned exhibition designer Ralph Appelbaum Associates and wellknown Hawai‘i architect Glenn Mason. This three-year-long project is part of the museum’s ongoing plan to provide a world-class experience that reflects its unique and incredible collection. This article is based in large part on information provided by Elizabeth Tatar, Chairperson of the Anthropology Department, and Noelle Kahanu, Director of Community Affairs, at the Bishop Museum. FIG. 18 (facing page): Canoe prow, tauihu, said to have been carved in Waitara by a Maori chief named Tamati Raru. Aotearoa (New Zealand). Before 1889. Wood, paua shell, red ochre. Bishop Museum, Eric Craig Collection, 1889. Photo: David Franzen. FIG. 19 (above): Facial cast of Taupua Te Whanoa, a tohunga whakairo (master carver) from Ohinemutu, Rotorua. Aotearoa (New Zealand). Plaster, paint, metal, paper. Bishop Museum, Peter Buck Collection, 1958. Photo: David Franzen. FIG. 20 (left): Pendant, hei tiki. Aotearoa (New Zealand). Before 1902. Whale bone, paua shell, wax. Bishop Museum inv. #5817, Gift of Mrs. M. D. Hendricks, 1902. Photo: David Franzen.
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