Post #141815 by Trader Woody on Thu, Feb 17, 2005 1:57 PM

I think that in the early days of exploration, Europeans were far more interested in the curiosity value of Polynesian objects rather than any monetary value. A quick read of Cook's journals reveals that most of the time he was trading in order to get on the good side of the locals. The natives were as eager, if not more, to get their hands on what what on board the ships. If you calculate in the number of crewmen, all wanting their own souvenirs, and you've quickly stripped a good proportion of a village's valuables.

Certainly a more cynical trade built up in the following years, but I think to portray explorers and colonialists as wholly exploitational gives the wrong idea. While a vast number had suspect reasons for going to these 'far-flung' places, many others had far more noble reasons for going.

Part of the reason for saying this is that I have a great love for museums and the fact that they make such objects available for all to view, regardless of their income. My arguement against many museums is that they hoard too much, far away from the public eye.
(I've been waiting for the British Museum's incredible Polynesian collection to be made available again to the public for years and years)

The real tragedy is that these objects offered for sale might go into private collections, never to be seen again. But certainly - think things through before you buy.

Trader Woody