Melanesia, Polynesia, & Micronesia

Holdings feature the Harry A. Franklin Family Collection—an important gift of over 1,000 objects including ancestor boards, bark paintings, helmet masks from Papua New Guinea, and slit drums and fern figures from Ambrym Island—as well as small collections from Polynesia and Micronesia.

Unidentified Samoan maker
Tapa
collected 1838-1842
13.2.614
Unidentifed Kānaka Maoli maker
Stone Pestle
not dated
13.28.929
Unidentifed Kānaka Maoli maker
Shark Hook
about 1839-1841
13.3.684
Unidentified Kerewa maker | Goaribari Island | Papuan Gulf | Papua New Guinea
Feather Headdress
collected 1912
14.13.4269
Unidentified Kerewa maker | Goaribari Island | Papuan Gulf | Papua New Guinea
Feather Headdress
collected 1912
14.13.4272
Unidentified Kerewa maker | Goaribari Island | Papuan Gulf | Papua New Guinea
Feather Headdress
collected 1912
14.13.4273
Unidentified Kerewa maker | Goaribari Island | Papuan Gulf | Papua New Guinea
Feather Headdress
collected 1912
14.13.4278
Unidentified Kerewa maker | Goaribari Island | Papuan Gulf | Papua New Guinea
Feather Headdress
collected 1912
14.13.4279
Unidentified Kerewa maker | Goaribari Island | Papuan Gulf | Papua New Guinea
Drum
collected 1912
14.13.4282
Unidentified Kerewa maker | Goaribari Island | Papuan Gulf | Papua New Guinea
Ancestor Board
1912
14.13.4285
Unidentified Kerewa maker | Goaribari Island | Papuan Gulf | Papua New Guinea
Headrest / Pillow (ira'ao)
collected 1912
14.13.4316
Unidentified Kerewa maker | Goaribari Island | Papuan Gulf | Papua New Guinea
Incised Belt
collected 1912
14.13.4323
Unidentified Kerewa maker | Goaribari Island | Papuan Gulf | Papua New Guinea
Net Belt, Beaded
collected 1912
171.29.25252
Meagoma / Karati village | Wapo Creek | Papuan Gulf | Papua New Guinea
Ancestral Board (gope)
collected in 1966
183.7.26393
Wowobo village | Urama Delta | Papuan Gulf | Papua New Guinea
Ancestral board (gope)
collected in 1966
183.7.26395
Unidentified Tongan maker
Barkcloth Mat
about 1987
2005.30.1
Unidentified Tongan maker
Barkcloth Mat
mid-1980s
2005.30.2
Unidentified Tongan maker
Decorative Belt
mid-1980s
2005.30.3
Unidentified Tongan maker
Design Tablet for Barkcloth
about 1987
2005.30.4
Papua New Guinea | Laben Sakale John, Papua New Guinean, born 1977
Cultural Heritage
2004
2005.43.1
Unidentified Era River maker | Wapo-Era-Urama Area | Papuan Gulf | Papua New Guinea
Ancestral Board (Gope)
early 20th century
2019.97.33
Unidentified Kerewa maker | Goaribari Island | Papuan Gulf | Papua New Guinea
Ancestor Board (Gope)
collected 1912
34.36.5956
Unidentified Kerewa maker | Goaribari Island | Papuan Gulf | Papua New Guinea
Feather Headdress
collected 1912
34.36.5985
Unidentified Kerewa maker | Goaribari Island | Papuan Gulf | Papua New Guinea
Green Stone Axe
collected 1912
34.36.5993
Unidentified Kerewa maker | Goaribari Island | Papuan Gulf | Papua New Guinea
Feather Headdress
collected 1912
53.57.12919
Unidentified Kerewa maker | Goaribari Island | Papuan Gulf | Papua New Guinea
Incised Bark Belt
collected 1912
53.57.12924
Unidentified probably Elema maker | Eastern Papuan Gulf | Papua New Guinea
Eharo (Barkcloth Mask)
collected 1885
53.65.13194
Unidentified Tongan maker
Basket
about 1900
53.65.13482
around Gope village | Wapo-Era-Urama Area | Papuan Gulf | Papua New Guinea
Female Figure (bioma or agiba)
not dated
990.54.27208
Unidentified Urama Island maker | Wapo-Era-Urama Area | Papuan Gulf | Papua New Guinea
Female Figure (bioma or agiba)
not dated
990.54.27209
Kerewa Area | Papuan Gulf | Papua New Guinea
Ancestral Board (gope)
not dated
990.54.27252
Unidentified Namau maker | possibly Purari Delta | Havasea village | Urama Island | Papuan Gulf | Papua New Guinea
Ancestral Board (Gope; kwoi or kohe)
not dated
990.54.27253
around Gope village | Wapo-Era-Urama Area | Papuan Gulf | Papua New Guinea
Female figure (bioma or agiba)
not dated
990.54.27364
Unidentified Abelam maker | Maprik Region | Papua New Guinea
Plaque
mid-20th century (probably before 1942)
990.54.27845
Unidentified Iatmul maker | Tambunam Village | Middle Sepik River | Papua New Guinea
Shield
not dated
990.54.27850
Unidentified Abelam maker | Maprik Region | Papua New Guinea
Headdress
not dated
990.54.28094
Unidentified Abelam maker | Maprik Region | Papua New Guinea
Headdress
not dated
990.54.28098
Kerewa Area | Papuan Gulf | Papua New Guinea
Ancestral Board (gope)
not dated
990.54.28152
Unidentified Samoan maker
Fishhook
999.44.33930
Unidentified Tongan maker
Fishhook
999.44.33931
Unidentified Tongan maker
Fishhook
999.44.33932