Oceania

[Visited: August 2023]

On my first visit to Papua New Guinea, I had been overwhelmed by a cultural diversity I had not seen in any other country in the world, especially given the fact that it is a small country in number of inhabitants. More than 800 languages, every one representing a tribe with their own customs. What I didn't do on my first visit, was to give any attention to Port Moresby. Commonly thought to be one of the most dangerous cities in the world, I thought the main appeal of the country lied elsewhere. While this is still true, there are certainly sights in the capital that deserve a visit. The National Museum is the first of those, and that is where I head right after breakfast. At the entrance gate, I see wrecks of planes, and before I reach the building, I see enormous wooden statues holding the high roof. The museum starts already outside. But alas, I soon find out that the museum is closed for a private event. The next week, I am back with my travel partner, but we are turned away because of a problem with the air conditioning.
So it is that we are on our way again. We take pictures of the carved statues outside, and then it turns out that this third attempt is successful. We turn right, and read about the history of Papua New Guinea. How a long time ago, when continents were still connected, people from Africa came all the way here to settle. How they populated the country and its islands, and developed their cultures. We see ancient objects as silent testimonies to this history. Then, we come to a section which displays utensils and larger items. There are dresses, traps to catch animals both on land and in the sea, decorations, and much more. Here, the main eye-catcher undoubtedly is a traditional outrigger canoe decorated with cowrie shells. I try to imagine what it would look like, floating over the turquoise waters and corals of PNG. This first section is the appetiser for what is to come: the main hall of the museum.
We first see a small collection of modern paintings by local artists, and then walk into the high hall. Here, we see wooden masks of many different tribes. Statues with carved details, often animals, on the sides and sometimes decorated with shells or animal parts like feathers or beaks. Huge totem poles (the height of the hall is actually needed to accommodate them). We see female and male statues, koteka, jewelry. We see intricately carved paddles for canoes and musical instruments. Wooden stools that seem too beautiful to sit on. Spears and shields for the inevitable warfare that mankind somehow cannot do without. It is a dazzling collection, and it makes you realize once more how incredibly rich Papua New Guinea really is. We will be leaving for the Highlands the next day, and we cannot wait to see some of those tribes with our own eyes and some of those masks being used.

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National Museum (Papua New Guinea)

National Museum > Papua New Guinea > Oceania

[Visited: August 2023]

Around the World in 80 Clicks