Decadence or a flowering of traditional arts? A mastery of the new carving tools? Even as a non-expert I think it is possible to recognise in many old pieces a decline in artistry. This picture is from "Pacific Encounters- Art & Divinity in Polynesia 1760-1860" British Museum Press {a must have}. It is not too expensive and I think is still available from amazon.UK. Perhaps this could be seen as decadent over even earlier forms, bearing in mind metal tools could well have been in the hands of court artists from at least the very early 1700s.
|