Other & unsorted Oceania
What it is
Objects from this tradition that do not fit the types above, or whose catalogue records are too brief to sort further. Browse them for unusual forms.
History
Across Polynesia, power resided in mana, a sacred force that flowed from ancestors and gods and could be held in objects, especially those passed down through generations. Māori pounamu (greenstone) taonga (treasures) accumulated mana with each wearer. Hawaiian chiefs wore whale-ivory and human-hair lei niho palaoa as signs of divine rank. In Melanesia, charms for love, canoe voyages, war and gardens were made by specialists and kept secret. Many Pacific taonga were taken by collectors, and New Zealand and Hawaiian institutions now lead efforts to bring them home.
Making yours
Check the source record for materials and size before copying.Oceania: the tradition
Across Polynesia, power resided in mana, a sacred force that flowed from ancestors and gods and could be held in objects, especially those passed down through generations. Māori pounamu (greenstone) taonga (treasures) accumulated mana with each wearer. Hawaiian chiefs wore whale-ivory and human-hair lei niho palaoa as signs of divine rank. In Melanesia, charms for love, canoe voyages, war and gardens were made by specialists and kept secret. Many Pacific taonga were taken by collectors, and New Zealand and Hawaiian institutions now lead efforts to bring them home.
Treasure Box (Wakahuia)Polynesia, New Zealand, Maori people, 19th century · 1800s
Necklace amulet from AustraliaAustralia
Charm, luckWorld War 1, 1914-18-Wars; (Circa 1914); 1914-1919; 10 Mar 2003; 20 Feb 2003
Karangahake showing Talisman Battery and levels.
Amulet from AustraliaAustralia
Charm, luckWorld War 1, 1914-18-Wars; (Circa 1914); 1914-1919; 10 Mar 2003; 20 Feb 2003
Talisman Gold Mining Co. Large engine.
2021 Castaways Sculpture Awards, "Talisman" by Tania Spencer
Talisman Gold Mining Co. Office and assaying room.
Pounamu talisman, Canterbury Museum, 2016-01
Karangahake. Talisman Gold Mining Co. at 7th level
Talisman Wines tasting room
U.S. Sailors assigned to the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) spray the hull of the Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Diamantina (K377) during a community service project as part of Ta
Talisman Battery at Karangahake (21456577239)
Talisman Wines, Geographe Wine Region
Talisman Wines trophy shelfMore from Oceania: Hei-tiki
Every type in the gallery
Anything in the gallery can be made: any piece, any tradition, in its own material or yours, by hand from the documented original. Numbered. Price on commission, quoted before anything is made. I reply within one business day.