Yale Peabody Museum opens new ‘Hall of the Pacific’ exhibit

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — For the first time, the Yale Peabody Museum will exhibit collections celebrating the living cultures of Pacific Islanders communities.

Museum leaders announced Monday their new “Hall of the Pacific” is open to the public now.

Museum Director David Skelly said the exhibit is completely new for the Peabody.

“We’ve never been able to show this collection of objects and works of art from across the Pacific at a scale like this. The Hall of the Pacific helps visitors make a true connection with the living cultures of the region, and with AAPI communities right here in Connecticut,” Skelly said.

The new exhibit includes 254 objects, from artworks to contextual photographs and historical artifacts.

Among the pieces featured are:

• a carved seagoing canoe prow from Vanuatu
• elaborate façade paintings that adorned a ceremonial house in Papua New Guinea
• decorated shields from the Solomon Islands used for defense and in ceremonies
• a rare Tago mask from Tami Islands.
• a pair of rare Eharo masks from Papua New Guinea
• a 19th-century warup drum from Saibai Island
• an iUla Tavatava , a ridged-head missile club from Fiji
• a collection of stylized spirit face masks from Vanuat
• a Māori feather cloak from New Zealand

Museum leaders said the 3,655-sq-ft exhibit on the third floor chronicles the distances navigated by Pacific Islands and the diversity of the region’s cultures.

It was made possible by a donation from philanthropist Thomas Jaffe.

“I’ve been into the worlds of the Pacific since I was a kid, and been collecting objects from there for years,” Jaffe said. “So, when it came time to share them with the public the Yale Peabody with Dave Skelly leading its massive revamp and expansion was a dream partner come true. My hope is that those who visit this gallery will be turned on to the Pacific’s incredible cultures for generations to come.”

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