The Pacific

"The art objects Pacific Islanders have produced over the centuries always played important functional roles in religious and communal life."
-Gardner's Art Through the Ages, 15th ed.

Student Resources

Overview
Key Ideas
Quick History
*YouTube: How tapa cloth is made
* YouTube: End of Easter Island
* YouTube: Crash Course- Captain Cook
Ahu'ula from Honolulu Museum of Art
Article (short) on Tamati Waka Nene from New
Zealand History; Video included!
Nat Geo interview with George Tamihana Nuku on Moko
From the Smithsonian: Article: "History of Tattoos"
From the Smithonian: "Nan Madol" by Christopher Pala
Nat Geo article on Australia's Aborigines (fantastic article)
Video: The Ocean Shows Us the Way (navigation charts)
Video: New Ireland's Malagan masks by St. Louis Art Museum and this one from the Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Presentation of Fijian mats to Queen Elizabeth II
How did the Moai statues travel?
Artwork List
Vocabulary List
Flashcard Images

Smart History: Art of oceania

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

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

Cultures

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

The Ahu 'ula feather cape shows a person's ancestral connections, power and authority, and successes using geometric patterns. Design your own feather cape! Any size paper, should be in color. You can use any materials you would like! Make sure that it is neat and represents you. If you were able to collect feathers from any type of bird, which would you use? The people of Hawai'i use mostly yellow, black, and red feathers as they are the rarest to find. You can include any color or types of feathers- what colors represent you? What colors would you include and what kind of designs to show your success and achievements? Write one paragraph to explain your feather cape and why it represents you.

Extra Credit (10 points added to next quiz)! Create an actual feather cape that you can wear and bring to class! *You do not have to actually use feathers. Find creative ways to use alternates (coffee filters, felt, fabric, paper, fibres...) You must still have a drawing of your cape to complete the assignment.

2015 class examples
2016 class examples