In 1961, 23-year-old Michael C. Rockefeller made two trips to New Guinea where he met with Asmat elders and artists, purchasing and collecting artworks. Today, these same works welcome visitors to the Arts of Oceania galleries at The Met, where they are installed in the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing that bears his name. In New Guinea, Asmat customs and ceremonies continue to be practiced, with knowledge and crafts passed down between generations.
Asmat Encounters
In 1961, 23-year-old Michael C. Rockefeller made two trips to New Guinea where he met with Asmat elders and artists.
7 min. watch
Contributors
Papua film and audio (2023) by Joshua Irwandi, supported by The Metropolitan Museum's Michael C. Rockefeller Wing Capital Project and the National Geographic Society.
Archival photography and field notes by Michael C. Rockefeller. Courtesy Rockefeller Archives Center.
Profile photograph of Michael Rockefeller, 1961 (2006.12.1.104.24). Courtesy Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University.
Archival audio recording courtesy of Malcolm Kirk. Visual Resource Archive, Michael C. Rockefeller Wing.
Maps produced by Geoff Wallace. Illustrations by David Rhoads. Animation by Angelina Ding.
More from The Met
Video
Join curator Maia Nuku to celebrate the renovation and reopening of the Arts of Oceania galleries in the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing.
Maia Nuku
July 24
Discover the foundational history of jive culture in the United States as a form of expression.
Brent Hayes Edwards
July 18
Video
Join curators Joanne Pillsbury and Laura Filloy Nadal to celebrate the renovation and reopening of the Arts of the Ancient Americas galleries in the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing.
Joanne Pillsbury and Laura Filloy Nadal
July 17