increasing availability of material such as whale ivory.
They were trying new techniques and developing new
forms. The fi rst half of the nineteenth century was an
extraordinary period of creative innovation, and this is
one reason why I wanted to include series of objects,
such as breastplates, to emphasize the point that
Fijian art was not some fi xed timeless phenomenon,
but that changes were occurring frequently. Another
point to be emphasized was that many things were
made for gift exchange, either with kin, with chiefs, or
with outsiders. These include canoes, weapons, bowls,
and barkcloths, as well as the more familiar tabua
(presentation whale teeth). These things embodied
important relationships. One of the hardest things
when doing the exhibition and book was deciding
what to leave out. Even with the help of a
brilliant book designer, Andrew Johnson,
there was only so much we could include;
otherwise, there would have been even
more series to show the innovative skills of
Fijian craftspeople.
T. A. M.: The fi nal appendix that lists chiefs,
collectors, and institutions with important
collections of Fijian artifacts is particularly
interesting for both collectors and curators.
Are there any plans to update and expand
this section?
S. H.: We felt this would be useful. It draws
upon information gathered during our Fijian
Art Research Project, and my colleague
Katrina Igglesden, who also helped with
design and editing, prepared that appendix.
This followed a model we used for Pacifi c Encounters
in 2006, when Karen Jacobs did a similar appendix for
Polynesia. An effective way to disseminate this and
additional information will be via our Fijian Art Project
website (www.fi jianart.sru.uea.ac.uk). As part of our
ongoing work in the next year or so, we will expand
this section, so keep an eye out for that.
NOTES
1. Steven Phelps Hooper, 1976, Art and Artefacts of the
Pacifi c, Africa, and the Americas: The James Hooper
Collection. London: Hutchinson.
2. Roland Force and Maryanne Force, 1971, The Fuller
Collection of Pacifi c Artifacts. New York: Praeger.
3. Steven Hooper, 2006, Pacifi c Encounters: Art & Divinity in
Polynesia, 1760–1860. London: British Museum Press.
FIG. 2 (left): Necklace, sisi.
Fiji. First half of the 19th
century.
Reproduced on p. 139, fi g. 39.
FIG. 3 (right): Detail of a
bowl, yaqona. Fiji. First half
of the 19th century.
Reproduced on pp. 226–227,
fi g. 190.
FIGS. 4a, b, and c (below):
Three spreads from Fiji: Art
& Life in the Pacifi c.
Top to bottom: 226–297, 132–133,
and 256–257.
/(www.fi
/jianart.sru.uea.ac.uk
