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Convict Art and Craft in Colonial New Caledonia
Author(s) -
Ahrens Prue,
Lagarde Louis
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
history compass
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.121
H-Index - 1
ISSN - 1478-0542
DOI - 10.1111/j.1478-0542.2010.00738.x
Subject(s) - convict , craft , prison , colonialism , punishment (psychology) , history , visual arts , art , archaeology , psychology , social psychology
New Caledonia’s history as a penal colony, and its past association with crime and punishment, is well documented. What remains unrecognised in published histories is the operation of the prison workshops, specifically the production of art and craft that was traded beyond the prison walls. A collection of convict art and craft recently acquired by the Noumea Town Museum and displayed in the exhibit ‘Ile d’exil, Terre d’asile’, contributes much to our knowledge of New Caledonian penal history and prison workshop production. The collection consists of engraved shells and wooden boxes produced by convict artists. The objects are very rarely signed, and it would be fruitless to attempt to attribute them to specific convict artists. What they offer, however, are insights into prison workshop production, developments in work with mother‐of‐pearl and the expansion of souvenir markets in New Caledonia during the late 19th century.