Nan Madol
Pohnpei, Micronesia
700-1600CE / Basalt Boulders and prismatic columns
Linked by canals
segmented / -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 / Built by king to keep a close eye on the upper class & those close to him.
Built on coral reef / Seawalls act as breakwaters, the canals were cleaned out with the tides.
Outerwalls point upwards, symbolic of a boat.
Sacred space/reef of heaven
Moai on Platform (ahu)
Easter Island
1100-1600 CE / Volcanic tuff figures on basalt base
Mixed stone w/ash from cremations
Bas relief / Marking burial or sacred sites used for religious ceremonies.
Fish hook shaped nostril / White coral placed into eyes to “open” them
Elongated noses/slim & tall / Representative of personalities deified after death
Hat indicates status
Ahuula
(feather cape)
Hawaiian
Late 18th C / Feathers and fiber / -Men of High Rank
-Linked wearer to gods
-Protection of gods as well as physical protection.
Shaped neckline / Resources & labor required are extraordinary
500,000 feathers
Red= gods/chiefs/power / Cloaks made while chanting belief that power of chants was in fabric.
Imbue power.
Staff God
Rarotonga, Cook Islands
Late 18th C –
Early 19th C CE / Wood, tapa, fiber, and feathers / Represents faith/gods / Elongated body
Wooden shaft coil of tapa.
Soul of god represented by shells & red feathers inside tapa. / Placed upright in village common area to represent an adoption of faith.
-Humans come from body of god reproduction and continuation of race.
Female Deity
Nokuoro, Micronesia
18th-19thc CE / Wood / Represents individual deity
Religious Ceremonies
Function over Form / Simple geometric forms
Erect pose, long arms, broad chest
No face detail / Kept in religious buildings belonging to community
Lines used to represent knees, navel, waist.
Godess/Clan Patron
Buk (mask)
Torres Strait
19thc CE / Carved Turtle Shell
Wood
Fiber
Feathers & shell / Ceremonies about death, fertility & male initiation
Bird on top
Connected wearer & culture to supernatural / Ceremonial
Fire/Drums/Chanting
Combination of human and animal forms` / Ceremony recreating mythical ancestral beings
Hiapo (tapa)
Niue 1850-1900 CE / Tapa or barkcloth, paint / -Clothing, bedding, wall hangings
-Ceremonially used in birthdays & weddings.
-Sacred applications use wrapping of deities / Designs are stamped, & painted…each interpreted differently
Intricate geometric patterns / Made by women
“Soft” arts/materials
“woman’s wealth”
TamitiWaka Nene
Gottfried Lindauer
1890
New Zealand / Oil on canvas
European painting influences:
- Oil on canvas
- Atmospheric perspective
- Shading
- 3-D solid figure
1st of pacific islands to trade w/England internationally. / Image of Maori Chief who converted to Wesleyan faith.
(Christianity) /
- 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 / Assisted steering thru the many islands.
Navigation routes(Maps) / Depicts lines for support, wind/currents
Seashells for island positions / Made to be waterproof & buoyant.
Memorized before voyage, not always used during voyage.
Malangan display & Mask
New Ireland Province,
Papua New Guinea
20thc CE / Wood, Pigment, Fiber Shell
Weaving, Figure Making, Free hand painting. / 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.
One time use
Size of mask = importance/power
Presentation of Fijian mats & tapa cloths to Queen Elizabeth II
1953 CE / Multimedia Performance
Costume, cosmetic, scents, chants, movement and fiber mats)
Photograph documentation / Enormous tapa cloth made for QE II
Respect & gratitude for QEII.
Alliance of British empire & islands
Symbol of wealth / Imagery of royal crowns, geometric patterns, floral motifs / 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.