ART ON VIEW 74 Collection became ours in 1978, Asia has become the best represented continent with more than 10,000 objects. There are 6,000 objects in the African section, which includes North Africa; 4,800 in the North American and Arctic ones; and 2,000 works from Oceania. A good overview can be had by browsing the catalog of the collection published by Actes Sud. T. A. M.: How does the collection fi t into the overall discourse of the museum? M. P.: Being as interdisciplinary as our museum is, it makes sense that non-European art should be a signifi cant part it. All of our objects, from all cultures, demonstrate how, since time immemorial, man has sought answers to questions about his origins, that of the world he lives in, his place in it, and his connection with the spiritual universe. The museum’s 3,000-square-meter permanent collection space is divided into four distinct exhibitions that emphasize different kinds of presentation and subject matter. The fi rst, called Origines, les récits du monde (Origins: The Stories of the World), examines how Aboriginal works convey conceptions of the world’s creation. The second, Espèces, la maille du vivant (Species: FIG. 7 (above): Double roll of tevau feathers. Solomon or Santa Cruz islands. 20th century. Myzomela cardinalis, feathers, vegetable fi ber, shell, seeds. L: 82 cm. Musée des Confl uences, inv. 2002.2.1. © Pierre-Olivier Deschamps/ Agence VU’ – Musée des Confl uences, Lyon. A red feather roll of this type takes some 700 hours to manufacture and is one of the most valuable of the objects that are exchanged at marriages in the Santa Cruz Islands. Three kinds of specialists are involved: the bird hunter, the manufacturers of the feather band itself, and the makers of the roll they are attached to. Some 50,000 Myzomela cardinalis (sparrow) feathers are needed and are attached in a series of plaques, each of which is sewn to the next with hibiscus fi ber to create a band that can be several meters long, which is subsequently rolled up. The artists’ signature mark appears on the back of the roll as a geometric design produced with blackened fi bers. – Marie Perrier. of currencies thanks to advice we received from Roger Boulay. We have purchased pieces from Anthony J.P. Meyer in Paris and Australian dealers Todd Barlin and Chris Boylan, as well as at auction. Only a small part of the works we possess in this area are in the permanent display, so we plan to rotate them, both for conservation considerations and so we can continue to show our visitors fresh material. Lastly, over the last ten years we have also received important private gifts. The Denise and Michel Meynet Collection of African utilitarian objects, the subject matter for Laurick Zerbini’s 2002 book L’Afrique sans Masque, is important among these. It has been a highlight of the Musée des Confl uences’ permanent installation since 2014, and the ornaments and headdresses in it are particularly noteworthy. Under the direction of Hélène Lafont- Couturier, we continue to add to our collections on a regular basis, particularly in ways that allow us to rotate our permanent display. T. A. M.: Seen as a whole, what are the museum’s non-European holdings composed of at the moment? M. P.: Ever since part of the Émile Guimet
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