Ethnic Cultures of Asia: Traditional Ways of Life in the South Pacific
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Club (Ula)
Fiji Islands, Melanesia, Second half of the 19th–start of the 20th centuryAsian Gallery (Toyokan) Room 13
March 25, 2025 (Tue) - June 22, 2025 (Sun)Tokyo National Museum has a large collection of ethnological materials from the South Pacific, mostly collected from the 19th to 20th century. During that period, the traditional beliefs and customs of South Pacific islanders were changing rapidly as they came in contact with colonial powers. Today, some of the objects in the collection can no longer be found on the islands they came from.
The current exhibition features ethnological materials from the South Pacific related to traditional ways of life, including a model of a ceremonial house, hunting and fishing tools, musical instruments, bowls, and objects used as currency. These works offer a rare glimpse into the unique indigenous cultures of the South Pacific.
| Designation | Name | Creation/ Excavation/ Provenance |
Period | Acquisition/ Ownership/ Accession Number |
CMT | ||
| Highlight | Club ("Ula") | Fiji Islands, Melanesia | Second half of the 19th–start of the 20th century | TK-2749 | |||
| Highlight | Stone Money | Yap Island, Micronesia | 19th–early 20th century | Gift of Mr. Honda Kensuke, TK-3562 |