Pacific Art History

maori

The Indigenous Polynesian people of Aotearoa (New Zealand), known for traditions such as tattooing (moko), carving, and ancestral meeting houses.

ahu ula

A Hawaiian feather cloak worn by high-ranking chiefs; made of thousands of bird feathers and symbolizing power, mana, and divine protection.

buk

A mask from Torres Strait Islands (between Australia & Papua New Guinea), often combining human and animal forms and used in rituals, dance, and funerary ceremonies.

Malagan

A ceremonial tradition from New Ireland (Papua New Guinea) involving elaborate carved sculptures used during funerary rites.

Tatanua

A type of Malagan mask with distinctive hairstyle and carved detail, worn in dances that honor the deceased.

Basalt

A dark, hard volcanic stone used in Pacific architecture and sculpture (e.g., Nan Madol walls, Moai platforms).

Saudeleur

The dynasty that ruled Pohnpei and constructed Nan Madol, the political and ceremonial center built on artificial islets

Moai

Large monolithic stone statues of ancestors on Rapa Nui (Easter Island); represent deified chiefs and protect the community.

ahu

stone platform where moai statues stand, cemeronial and burial 

rapa nui

The Polynesian name for Easter Island; home to Moai, ahu, and unique ancestral cult practices.

pisupo

pea soup

batik

place wax, dye it, design left behind

echidna

type of ant eater

enga people

A group in Papua New Guinea known for elaborate ceremonial exchanges, wigs, and exchange systems such as Moka.

Lapita people

Ancestors of Polynesians; known for distinctive dentate-stamped pottery and early Pacific migration.

terra cotta

Ancestors of Polynesians; known for distinctive dentate-stamped pottery and early Pacific migration.

Schematic

Simplified, diagram-like representation reducing details to essential shapes or symbols.

rebbelib

A type of Marshall Islands navigation chart that maps wave patterns, ocean swells, and island positions used by master navigators

hiapo

Niuean barkcloth (tapa) decorated with fine geometric patterns and motifs.

tapa

Cloth made from inner bark (usually mulberry) beaten flat and decorated; used for ceremonies, clothing, and rituals in Polynesia.

mana

Spiritual power, authority, or divine force present in people, objects, and places.

moko

maori face tattoos

Mesolithic

Middle Stone Age; transitional period with more advanced tools and semi-sedentary communities.

Neolithic

New Stone Age; development of agriculture, permanent settlements, pottery, and megalithic monuments.

Silhouette

Completely filled-in outline of a shape.

Outline

The outer contour line of a figure or shape.

Twisted perspective

A representation combining multiple viewpoints (e.g., profile body but frontal eye); common in prehistoric and Egyptian art.

Cromlech

A circle of megalithic stones (e.g., Stonehenge’s outer ring); often ceremonial.

Henge

A prehistoric circular earthwork containing a ditch and bank, often with standing stones or wooden posts.

Megalith

A large stone used in prehistoric architecture (menhir, dolmen, cromlech).