Bisj Pole- Irian Jaya, Asmat

Bisj poles are a good example of the ancestry of the Asmat culture and how it influences power and authority. These poles are constructed for the deceased members of a clan or family. The poles are made to rally and inspire members to participate in a headhunt for the person that killed the family member.

Canoe Prow- New Guinea

Canoes were important to most Pacific island cultures because it was a way of transportation and trade with other islands. For this reason, the canoes were huge and highly decorated with ornately carved wood, like this canoe prow.

Power and Authority

Ancestral

Ceremony and Belief

Pacific and Oceanic Art

Ancestral Figure- Sepik River

This ancestral figure is one of many throughout pacific island culture. Cultures of the Sepik River valley have specific clans and each clan has an ancestral spirit connected to that clan. Most Ancestral figures tell a heroic story, like this specific figure of the Sawos people. In this way, this represents the ancestral theme of pacific art.

Contemporary Pacific Art:

Emily Kame Kngwarreye

Deborah U. Kakalia

Cliffor Possum Tjapaltjarri

Row of Maoi on a platform- Rapa Nui

These statues demonstrate a few of the key ideas that appear most frequently in Pacific Art. Being some of the oldest pieces of art in the Pacific region, these statues are thought to represent a lineage of chieftons and their sons. They are also believed to represent and hold ancient ancestors or deities in them. In this way, these statues are both ancestral and they demonstrate power and authority.

Carved Lintel- New Zealand, Polynesia

The Maori people of New Zealand are best known for their intricate wood carvings. This lintel, made for a meeting house door, best demonstrates that skill and practice.

Tantua Mask- New Ireland, Papua New Guinea

This mask is just one of hundreds that are made in New Ireland. These masks are both ancestral and ceremonial. They are used in Malanggan culture. People believed that at these ceremonies the deceased souls would transition from the living world to the realm of the dead. The masks are individualized and are worn in the ceremony.

Mimis and Kangaroo- Australia, Aborigine

The Aborigine people were connected closely with the land that they inhabited and they believed in “Dreamings” which are ancestral spirits that live in the present. This shows Mimi figures which are used to represent a dreaming. This piece is one of many aboriginal, X-ray style rock art pieces.

Hawaiian Regalia (cloak)

This cape best demonstrates the kind of power and authority found in some Pacific cultures. This cape is made out of rare bird feathers for a Hawaiian chief. The chief wore capes like this and helmets made of similar, rare material during temple ceremonies and during battle. It was meant to show the chiefs power and to scare his enemies.

Ceremonial Men’s House- Papua New Guinea

This men’s house is one of thousands on the Island of New Guinea and is not specific to just one culture. These houses are gathering places for the men in a village to gather and make decisions for the village and tribe. They are used to worship ancestors and female deities. Most of the art made in pacific cultures are made for and are stored in these houses