The art of Kula : an analysis of the Vakutan artistic system and the rituals of Kula

Abstract

The Kula continues to be a pervasive institution throughout parts of the Massim district despite Malinowski’s prediction 62 years ago that within, 'a generation or two the Kula will become entirely disorganised.' (1922:465). Today, Kula is even expanding beyond the island communities of the Massim to Port Moresby and other urban centres where the exchange of mwari (Kula armshells) and vaiguwa (Kula necklaces) has become a tool in the hands of the politically ambitious urban Trobriand elite. In this thesis I analyse the meaning of Kula from the perspective of the Vakutan community. To achieve this I take as my starting point the carved and painted boards which decorate the Kula canoe. By analysing the formal elements which are utilised in their construction, together with the system of representation and colour associations, layers of encoded meaning are revealed. I argue that the graphic system communicates meaning at different levels. These levels are separate in that the meanings encoded convey different kinds of information, calling on the observer to switch conceptual frames in order to interpret their meanings. Although the messages encoded in these different levels are distinct, they ultimately interrelate so that an enriched meaning is achieved. Following the analysis of the graphic system, I argue that the encoded meanings are principally concerned with success in the pursuit of Kula. This, however, is not all that the designs encode. Concepts evoked by the design units also interpenetrate with other spheres of communication, particularly those of Kula. In complementing the analysis of the graphic system with an analysis of the rituals of Kula, the symbolism of Kula transactions, and the meanings conveyed through Kula myths, a spectrum of distinct meanings converge and thereby highlight particular concepts. Ultimately, I demonstrate how this complexity of meaning is related to a male ideology which focuses upon gender relations within the Vakutan community.