Work
Nan Madol
Pohnpei, Micronesia
700-1600CE
Moai on Platform (ahu)
Easter Island
1100-1600 CE
Ahu ula
(feather cape)
Hawaiian
Late 18th C
Staff God
Rarotonga, Cook
Islands
Late 18th C –
Early 19th C CE
Form
Basalt Boulders and
prismatic columns
Linked by canals
segmented
Volcanic tuff figures on
basalt base
Mixed stone w/ash
from cremations
Bas relief
Feathers and fiber
Wood, tapa, fiber, and
feathers
Function
-Translation “spaces
between” referring to
canals that run thru.
-The “Venice” of the
Pacific
-Separate upper and
lower classes
-Capital of Saudeleur
Dynasty
-Mortuary Activitues
Marking burial or
sacred sites used for
religious ceremonies.
Fish hook shaped
nostril
-Men of High Rank
-Linked wearer to gods
-Protection of gods as
well as physical
protection.
Shaped neckline
Represents faith/gods
Content
Built by king to keep a
close eye on the upper
class & those close to
him.
Built on coral reef
White coral placed into
eyes to “open” them
Elongated noses/slim
& tall
Context
Seawalls act as
breakwaters, the
canals were cleaned
out with the tides.
Outerwalls point
upwards, symbolic of a
boat.
Sacred space/reef of
heaven
Representative of
personalities deified
after death
Hat indicates status
Resources & labor
Cloaks made while
required are
chanting belief that
extraordinary
power of chants was in
500,000 feathers
fabric.
Red=
Imbue power.
gods/chiefs/power
Elongated body
Placed upright in
Wooden shaft coil of
village common area to
tapa.
represent an adoption
Soul of god
of faith.
represented by shells &
-Humans come from
red feathers inside
body of god
tapa.
Female Deity
Nokuoro, Micronesia
18th-19th c CE
Wood
Buk (mask)
Torres Strait
19th c CE
Carved Turtle Shell
Wood
Fiber
Feathers & shell
Hiapo (tapa)
Niue 1850-1900 CE
Tapa or barkcloth,
paint
Tamiti Waka Nene
Gottfried Lindauer
1890
New Zealand
Oil on canvas
European painting
influences:




Oil on canvas
Atmospheric
perspective
Shading
3-D solid figure
¾ view
Represents individual
deity
Religious Ceremonies
Function over Form
Simple geometric
forms
Erect pose, long arms,
broad chest
No face detail
Ceremonies about
Ceremonial
death, fertility & male
Fire/Drums/Chanting
initiation
Combination of human
Bird on top
and animal forms`
Connected wearer &
culture to supernatural
-Clothing, bedding, wall Designs are stamped, &
hangings
painted…each
-Ceremonially used in
interpreted differently
birthdays & weddings.
Intricate geometric
-Sacred applications
patterns
use wrapping of deities
Painted portraits of
Maori chieftains
1st of pacific islands to
trade w/England
internationally.
Image of Maori Chief
who converted to
Wesleyan faith.
(Christianity)
reproduction and
continuation of race.
Kept in religious
buildings belonging to
community
Lines used to represent
knees, navel, waist.
Godess/Clan Patron
Ceremony recreating
mythical ancestral
beings
Made by women
“Soft” arts/materials
“woman’s wealth”



Painting is
posthumous,
based on photo
Subject was
revered, people
wanted to
memorialize him
after death
Surrounding
dramatic sky
indicates his
place in history.
Navigation Chart
Marshall Islands
19th -20th c CE
Wood and Fiber
Malangan display &
Mask
New Ireland Province,
Papua New Guinea
20th c CE
Wood, Pigment, Fiber
Shell
Presentation of Fijian
mats & tapa cloths to
Queen Elizabeth II
1953 CE
Assisted steering thru
the many islands.
Depicts lines for
support,
wind/currents
Seashells for island
positions
Made to be waterproof
& buoyant.
Honoring & Dismissing
the dead, sending to
otherworld.
Represented soul or
life force.
“Portrait of the soul”
Black, Yellow & Red
Denote violence, war &
magic
symbolic of many
important subjects,
including identity,
kinship, gender, death,
and the spirit world
Extremely Intricate
carving
Ceremonies free the
living of the obligation
of serving the dead.
Relationship of
deceased to clan/living
family.
Enormous tapa cloth
made for QE II
Imagery of royal
crowns, geometric
patterns, floral motifs
Navigation
routes(Maps)
Weaving, Figure
Making, Free hand
painting.
Multimedia
Performance
Costume, cosmetic,
scents, chants,
movement and fiber
mats)
Photograph
documentation
Respect & gratitude for
QEII.
Alliance of British
empire & islands
Symbol of wealth
Memorized before
voyage, not always
used during voyage.
One time use
Size of mask =
importance/power
bark cloth participates
in native patterns of
celebration, reciprocity
and exchange, as well
as in new cultural
contexts where it
inspires new
audiences, artists, and
art forms.
https://youtu.be/XTzNy9Bxfsk