Mo‘olelo of the Ahupuaʻa tells the various stories of living, working, playing and learning within a sustainable landscape. These are themes within the epic Hawaiian myth Hiʻiakaikapoliopele, which Hawaiian artist Solomon Enos depicts in this series of paintings. The heroine Hiʻiaka is on a quest that takes her throughout the various landscapes and worlds of […]
At the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, England, you can see a beautiful Ahu’ula, a feather cloak from Hawaii. It is on display on the ground floor, in a case […]
The ahupua‘a, a land division extending from the mountains to the sea, has long been the cornerstone of sustainable land management for Kanaka Maoli (Hawaiian) communities. "Ma uka" (toward the mountains) and "Ma kai" (toward the sea) are not merely directional references; they signify a deep understanding of care and access to natural and cultural resources within these regions. Through […]
Discover the beautifully sculptural Hulu Nēnē dress by fashion icon Manaola Yap, a designer and cultural practitioner from Hawaiʻi, within the Pitt Rivers Museum galleries. Displayed in a case in near the centre of the museum court on the ground floor, this installation is part of the journey through the Hawaiian landscape offered through the museum's current […]
In this Archive Case display, artists Simon Grennan and Solomon Enos re-examine the work of nineteenth century author Robert Louis Stevenson through dynamic graphic storytelling. Stevenson travelled to several Pacific […]
Unfinished is a poem written by Carol Ann Carl, a daughter of the island of Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia. With a background in Biochemistry and health, her community […]
With these Hands is a co-produced gallery trail created by a multicultural team of volunteers who share an interest in the hand-crafted. Through the objects chosen and the stories told, you […]
Eggsplore the galleries with an eggciting family trail! Spot the eggs around the Museum and check out some of our eggcellent objects on display! This free trail joins up with the Museum of Natural History. Trails are available to pick up from the Pitt Rivers Museum entrance during opening hours.
Lecture Room. Free, no booking required. Film produced by Professor Shihan de Silva Jayasuriya (Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London; Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge; Faculty of History and African Studies Centre, University of Oxford) This 43-minute documentary film combines ethnography with history and heritage to narrate the story of African movement eastwards […]
The cultural dances of Hawaiian Hula and Tahitian 'Ori are a vital part of life and are present in religious ceremonies, social gatherings, celebrations, and everyday life. They contain the knowledge and collected memory of its peoples-- cultivated over generations-- from philosophy, science, art and craft, relationship to Earth, and the human condition. Presented through […]
Ticket price includes lunch and refreshments on both days Tickets: £160 Book here Members: £128 Book here Plaited basketry is found around the world where materials are easily made into long flat ribbon-like strips - including palm leaves, bamboo, birch bark and cane. Alternatively more modern manufactured materials including plastic packing tape, Somband, cardboard and papers […]
Ticket price includes lunch and refreshments on both days Tickets: £160 Book here Members: £128 Book here Plaited basketry is found around the world where materials are easily made into long flat ribbon-like strips - including palm leaves, bamboo, birch bark and cane. Alternatively more modern manufactured materials including plastic packing tape, Somband, cardboard and papers […]
