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The Pacific 

QUICK HISTORY

  • 700-1980

  • Some of the oldest inhabited areas on Earth (The Aboriginals reached Australia 30,000-50,000 years ago)

  • Some places only inhabited up to 1000 years ago (remote islands of the Pacific, Easter Island, New Zealand)

  • We know about the culture of these areas because of explorations in the 18th century

CULTURES

  • Organization of 25,000 islands into micro (small), poly(many), mela (black), nesia (islands)

  • Polynesia, Micronesia, Melanesia

KEY IDEAS

  • Strong gender roles for creating art: Men = wood carving, women = tapa cloths

  • Wood is the primary material: they have perfected woodcarving

  • The use of natural materials such as fibers (plant materials), pigments, bones, sea ivory and shell, tortoise shell, wood, coral, and stone are very important to the meaning and symbolism of the artworks

  • Intricate lines and details

  • Art of Easter Island is unusual in Oceanic art

  • Heavily influenced by the sea (point of isolation and connecting through travel and trade). 

  • Art is in the form of performances, chants, dances, or rituals. Objects of dress/costumes or masks are used as props or disguises in religious rituals. They are not produced for aesthetic reasons.

  • Sculptures representing life forces in the supernatural world are often wrapped (usually in tapa). The life force is referred to as mana. Mana is protected and defended by the act of wrapping called tapu.

  • "Artworks" are displayed in the men's communal house

ARTWORK LIST
213. NAN MADOL
214. MOAI ON PLATFORM
215. AHU 'ULA (FEATHER CAPE)
216. STAFF GOD
217. FEMALE DEITY
218. BUK (MASK)
219. HIAPO (TAPA)
220. TAMATI WAKA NENE
221. NAVIGATION CHART
222. MALAGAN DISPLAY AND MASK
223. PRESENTATION OF FIGIAN MATS AND TAPA CLOTHS TO QUEEN ELIZABETH II
VOCABULARY
1. DEITY
2. TAPA
3. TATU(TATTOO)/MOKO
4. MANA(STRENGTH)
5. MALANGGAN (MALANGAN)
6. TATANUA MASKS
7. MOAI
8. PUKAO
9. MONOLITH
10. 'AHU 'ULA
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