New Vatican publication highlights Indigenous art, culture
Front cover of the Vatican Museums Indigenous Collection.
When people think of the Vatican Museums, minds tuarn to Michelangelo and Raphael. But a new book celebrates the prominent place of Indigenous Australian art and culture on display at the much-visited attraction.
Australia – The Vatican Museums Indigenous Collection, which features some of the earliest known documentations of Australian Indigenous cultures, was officially launched in Canberra in December, 2017. The publication was a joint project of Aboriginal Studies Press and the Vatican Museums.
Fr Nicola Mapelli, curator of the Ethnological Collections at the Vatican Museums, was in Australia for the launch. He had visited the Kimberley and the Tiwi Islands, among other Indigenous communities, in preparing for the publication of the book.
Fr Mapelli said the Australian exhibit at the Vatican Museums is the first one visitors come across after leaving the Sistine Chapel – a nod to the place of Indigenous Australians as the oldest continuous culture in the world.
“This publication shows how important it is to connect with Aboriginal people and to show respect for their culture which is as important as a painting of Michelangelo or a painting of Raphael.”
Bishop Christopher Saunders of Broome, where many of the pieces in the Vatican Museums and many of the items featured in the catalogue originate from, said Indigenous communities will treasure the publication.
“It is a reflection of the Vatican’s respect for those peoples, who have suffered greatly in this country but I believe are emerging from those times into something positive. I know it will be immensely popular among our people.”
In addition to showcasing Indigenous art and culture, the book also contains 18 essays from Indigenous and non-Indigenous authors.
The book’s editor, Australian National University historian and ethnologist, Katherine Aigner, said the development of the publication brought many Indigenous communities together, sparking conversations between young and old about the history of various objects, their stories and their significance.
The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, as well as local dioceses and religious orders, provided financial and other assistance to support the project.
As well as items dating back 150 years or more, the book also features on its back cover the artwork 'Pilgrimage', which was given to Pope Benedict XVI in 2010 to mark the canonisation of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop.
Fr Mapelli said the image, which depicts the convergence of Indigenous Australia and the Roman Catholic Church, is a fitting metaphor for the publication’s ability to bring together and celebrate those two distinct heritages.
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