If you have passed through the lobby of Mazur Hall lately, you may have noticed a striking new addition to the room’s decor. A ten-foot, hand carved house post from the Eastern Solomon Islands currently stands in the building’s atrium, courtesy of the Anthropology Department and the Temple Anthropology Laboratory and Museum (TALM).
The installation is part of an effort to raise awareness about TALM’s grand opening on March 31st, 2025, but it also gives the housepost a new life after spending decades in a basement stairwell in Gladfelter Hall.
“The house post sat in our stairwell, presumably since the building was built in 1973, because it was the only place in Gladfelter tall enough for a 10-foot post,” says Leslie Reeder-Myers, Associate Professor of Anthropology and Director of TALM. “Getting it out of the stairwell was challenging, but nothing compared to how hard it was to get a 100 lb. acrylic enclosure over the top! But we managed it safely, and we are really happy with the results.”
“The house post, affectionately known as Mauri since moving to Mazur, and its enclosure fits well scale-wise with the highest corners of the atrium reaching to 44 feet in height,” adds Marc Getty, Assistant Dean of Facilities and Information Technology, who coordinated the operation. “From our kick-off meeting on February 4th to finishing the installation on March 12th, this went as quickly and as well as it could go–thanks to all involved.”
The house post itself, carved in the 1960s, was made to hold up a canoe house—or an aofa—in the Solomon Islands. These buildings would shelter ornate, ceremonial canoes and the coffins of important figures from the village. Its design depicts a mythological shark deity from Melanesian folklore. It is one of five house posts from the region in the museum’s possession. The other four will be on display in the museum as part of the Snapshots of Melanesia exhibit.
Located in the lower level of Gladfelter Hall, the TALM houses over 200 archaeological and ethnographic collections from all over the world. The museum also trains students in the curation and preservation of archaeological collections. A team of these students have been hard at work preparing for the grand opening, constructing exhibits and even 3D printing replicas of items so that visitors can touch and interact with some of the museum’s most precious pieces. The space has existed in some capacity since 1964, but after a complete renovation of the upper floor, it will now open its doors to visitors with no appointment required for the first time.
“I hope students and classes will come here, see our exhibits and use us as a learning space,” says Reeder-Myers. “I also hope it’s a good spot for community. Students can come here to escape and just experience this unusual place on campus—I don’t think there’s anything else quite like this.”
TALM will hold its grand opening event on March 31st, 2025, at 4PM, with remarks from Reeder-Myers, Dean Richard Deeg and professor emeritus Jonathan Friedlander. Beginning on April 1st, the museum will be open to visitors from 10AM-4PM, Monday through Thursday.
You can catch a glimpse at all the hard work that went into the renovation and preview the new space in this gallery.