Centred around two full size canoes suspended in the atrium, the
gallery shows the many different ways islanders harness the seas
resources. Visiting the gallery you will be able to find out about
the people and communities behind the objects and discover the
great variety of island life as it was and as it continues
today.
Above: The Maori war canoe hanging in the gallery.
Click on any of the images below to see a larger version of the
object and find out more about it.
Ocean of islands
The vast Pacific region is scattered with islands, from tiny
atolls ringed by turquoise water to large mountainous islands
alongside active volcanoes. You will see ten iconic objects which
showcase the diversity and creativity of Pacific islanders then and
now.
Different resources are employed to create masterpieces of art
from the feathers of the tiny honey creeper in Hawaii, to woven
banana fibre and moulded turtleshell. Two contemporary sculptures
express the continuity of traditional practices and beliefs and the
use of new materials by today’s artists.
Beyond the horizon
Pacific Islanders are truly maritime people and the sea is their
highway. When Europeans began to explore the region and encounter
Pacific Islanders from 16th century they had all been explored and
settled by islanders over the millennia.
Visitors will learn how island life changed after Europeans
began to settle in the region. You can discover the Scottish
connections with the Pacific, from Robert Louis Stevenson who
settled in Samoa to Princess Titaua of Tahiti, who eventually made
her home in Anstruther.
Living with the sea
Islanders rely on the sea for much of the food and raw materials
required in everyday life. Resources on land are often limited by
the size and low-lying nature of many islands. Although long
distance trade between islands allows people to source rare and
valuable materials, local travel in canoes close to the shore is an
everyday occurrence to visit friends and relatives, access local
markets and fish for food.
The lack of raw materials has led to innovative solutions with
textiles made from the inner bark of trees and mats woven from
delicate plant fibres. Visitors will see how creating and
maintaining relationships between islands is important to the
islanders' survival.
The ocean is us
The sea is at the heart of Islanders’ lives and is central to
how they think about the world and their place within it. For some
pacific Islanders the gods take the form of sea creatures such as
sharks or whales. For others, the gods fished islands out of the
sea and into existence. Tattooing is widely practised in the
Pacific and through the designs on the body people display their
relationships and beliefs. Visitors will be able to listen to
stories, songs and poems from their islands.
Interactives
Developed with families in mind, the interactives in this
gallery help explore the region and the difference between
island nations in the northern hemisphere and those in the South
Pacific.
Get hands on and discover the difference between an atoll and a
‘high’ volcanic island with our terrain models; navigate your way
across the pacific in a voyaging canoe using Islander techniques or
by European sailing ship using navigational instruments.
You can listen to stories and songs told by Pacific and Scottish
islanders and watch films that tell the story of the museum’s Maori
canoe and its restoration for display in the gallery with Maori
artist, George Nuku.