Power and Taboo: Sacred objects from the eastern Pacific
28 September 2006 – 7 January 2007
Room 5
Exhibition closed
Power and Taboo explores the
power of the gods in the Polynesian islands of the eastern Pacific.
Displaying part of the British Museum’s remarkable early
collections from this region, and illustrated with images made in
the early part of European settlement (1760–1860), the
exhibition investigates Polynesian ideas about the gods and how to
manage their power.
Rare examples of feathered cloaks and valuable ornaments of jade
and ivory from islands such as Aotearoa New Zealand, Rapa Nui
Easter Island and Hawaii are also included in the exhibition. Many
of these objects had a lasting influence on 20th century artists
such as Henry Moore and Pablo Picasso.
This exhibition displayed 81 objects and was seen by over
123,000 visitors.