Fijian Art

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1. Essays, papers and articles by Rod Ewins

o Full bibliographyof books and articles by Rod Ewins

o An Introduction to Fijian Art (introductory notes for a presentation to Oceanic Art Society, Sydney, March 1999)

o The acoustic properties of the Fijian "slit gongs" [Published as Chapter 17 in Art and Performance in Oceania, Edited by Barry Craig, Bernie Kernot and Christopher Anderson. Bathurst (NSW), Crawford House Publishing. 1999: 173-8]

o Barkcloth and the Development of Paper [Published in Conference Papers,1st National Paper Conference. Hobart, Papermakers of Australia.1987, 11-15]

o  Fijian Pottery (illustrated monograph that accompanied an exhibition)

o  A Fijian Potter at the Tasmanian School of Art [Published in Pottery in Australia. Aug. 1987: 66-67]  

o Outsider curiosity, indigenous agency, and cultural imperialism. The trade in Fijian objects. [The original version of this paper was presented at the conference “Imperial Curiosity: Objects, Representations, Knowledges”, Hobart, Tasmania, June 27th-29th 2007].

o Proto-Polynesian Art? The cliff-paintings of Vatulele, Fiji [Published in Journal of the Polynesian Society 1995, 103(1): 23-74]

o Traditional Craft in Developing Countries: Living Fossil or Living Art? [Conference Keynote Address published in First South Pacific Arts Conference Report. Suva, Fiji Ministry of Education. 1980, 42-56]

©Ewins2005 All of these articles and pictures are copyright. Apart from those uses permitted under the Copyright Act 1968 (as amended), no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission from the author.

2. Relevant Excerpts from early sources 

o The Fiji Pavilion at the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley, London, in 1924 [Excerpt from the Official Guide, with map of the Wembley site and postcard showing the Fiji Pavilion]


Background picture: Women of the Nalimolevu clan preparing gifts of masi (bark-cloth) at a lifting-of-mourning ceremony, Vatulele, Fiji.

You may also find these other locations on this website have interest for you:

o BOOKSALE! Rod Ewins book "Fijian Artefacts"

o Photographs of Fiji

o Engravings in old books on Fiji

o Other Pacific Papers

o Essays/articles on art and education


LINKS : Fiji Museum | Pacific Museums |