GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Stilt walking was a favorite sport in the Marquesas Islands. Children were often proficient by the age of ten, and the most accomplished men were able to perform somersaults and other acrobatic feats. Formal contests, which included wagered racing and mock battles, were held during festivals.
Each stilt consisted of a pole, five to seven feet long and two inches in diameter, and a step or foot support, which was lashed to the pole two or three feet above the ground. A stylized human figure is the dominant sculptural theme. The body is characteristically columnar and frontal, with the arms held close to the torso and the legs often flexed. The head is large with features rendered precisely in low relief. The figures on the Marquesan stilt step show patterned elements on both face and, on the smaller lower figure, on the body as well. These represent tattoos. Tattooing was an art of the greatest prestige in the Marquesas, as in other parts of Polynesia, and the quality and quantity of a person's tattoos were a mark of his rank and of his mana, or stored, sacred inner force.
Drawn from
- DMA Label text.
- DMA Unpublished material, 1976.
- Mata Hoata: arts et société aux îles Marquises, Carol Ivory, ed. (Paris: Musée du quai Branly; Arles: Actes sud, 2016.
NOTES
Catalogue essays
Artist/designers
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RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
1976: Dallas Museum of Fine Arts purchased from Werner Muensterberger, London [1]
Notes:
The main source for this provenance is the Collections Records object card in the Collections Records object file (1976.4.FA).
[1] The name of the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, founded in 1933, was changed to the Dallas Museum of Art in 1983.
AUDIO ASSETS
VIDEO ASSETS
IMAGE ASSETS
WEB RESOURCES
- Encyclopedia Britannica~Learn more about the region of Oceania.
- National Museums Scotland~Explore resources about arts of the Oceania region of the Pacific.
ARCHIVAL RESOURCES
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Apply to objects where number equals 1976.4.FA
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General Description
Stilt walking was a favorite sport in the Marquesas Islands. Children were often proficient by the age of ten, and the most accomplished men were able to perform somersaults and other acrobatic feats. Formal contests, which included wagered racing and mock battles, were held during festivals.
Each stilt consisted of a pole, five to seven feet long and two inches in diameter, and a step or foot support, which was lashed to the pole two or three feet above the ground. A stylized human figure is the dominant sculptural theme. The body is characteristically columnar and frontal, with the arms held close to the torso and the legs often flexed. The head is large with features rendered precisely in low relief. The figures on the Marquesan stilt step show patterned elements on both face and, on the smaller lower figure, on the body as well. These represent tattoos. Tattooing was an art of the greatest prestige in the Marquesas, as in other parts of Polynesia, and the quality and quantity of a person's tattoos were a mark of his rank and of his mana, or stored, sacred inner force.
Drawn from
- DMA Label text.
- DMA Unpublished material, 1976.
- Mata Hoata: arts et société aux îles Marquises, Carol Ivory, ed. (Paris: Musée du quai Branly; Arles: Actes sud, 2016.
Fun Facts
Archival Resources
Web Resources
- Encyclopedia Britannica~Learn more about the region of Oceania.
- National Museums Scotland~Explore resources about arts of the Oceania region of the Pacific.
Notes
Catalogue essays
Artist/designers
Cultures
Geography
Process/materials
Historical periods
Individuals
Subject terms
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
1976: Dallas Museum of Fine Arts purchased from Werner Muensterberger, London [1]
Notes:
The main source for this provenance is the Collections Records object card in the Collections Records object file (1976.4.FA).
[1] The name of the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, founded in 1933, was changed to the Dallas Museum of Art in 1983.
AUDIO ASSETS
VIDEO ASSETS
rules
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Objects
number
Equals
1976.4.FA
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object_notes_1_a-0078.xml.nores