Art of the Pacific Islands

Australia

New Guinea

Philippines Pacific

Ocean

Indonesia

Tasmanian

Sea

Micronesia

Melanesia

Polynesia

Mexico

United States

Java

Malaysia

Moai Colassal Volcanic

Stone Statues, on Easter

Islands or Te Pito o Te

Henua, meaning The

Center (or Navel) of the

World by the Rapa Nui

people off the coast of

what is today the South

American country of Chile.

The largest of these

statues weighs 84 tons (12

elephants) and up to 6

yards high, 4th Century

AD.

Marquesas Island body

decoration tattoos and

carved wooden clubs

Carved Wooden Bowl,

uses same form line style

as tattoos

Easter Island, Marquesas & Hawaii

God statues in Puuhonua o

Honauau (Place of Refuge),

Big Island, Hawaii

incorrectly called Tikki’s by

Europeans

Porpoise-Tooth Crown

with glass trade beads, &

fiber, Kamuela, Hawaii

AUSTRALIA & MELANESIA

Plant seed jewelry,

Australia

Ayers Rock or Uluru in what is

to day Australia, Aboriginal

(original Australians) sacred

site with many petro glyphs

(rock carvings) and rock

paintings. This culture is the

oldest continuous living

culture on earth beginning in

100,000 B.C.E. A deeply

mystical culture traditionally

Aborigines believe dreams are

more real than the waking

world and song helps guide the

outcome of our lives. Drum carved in one

piece, New Ireland,

Papua New Guinea, canoe

prow (front), wood & paint

Bark Painting with

dots, Australia Solomon Islands, Clam

Shell Turtle Shell & Fibers

Meeting House & Post Figure of a

Warrior, wood, 19th century, New

Zealand, Maori people, other original

people here are the Moriori who no

longer exist in large numbers.

Fly Whisk Handle of King

Pomare II, 1700’s,

Maohi/Tahitian, whale ivory &

coconut fiber, 12”

NEW ZEALAND, TAHITI, SAMOA, & RAROTONGA

Giant Vaka 'Te Au O Te Tonga' boats from

Rarotonga/Cook Islands went to Tahiti &

Hawai‘i, & Carved Wooden figure

Samoan woman with a carved war club

wearing coconut bark cloth or siapo & turtle

shell combs, 19th century

Philippines Originally culturally Malayan in the 1500’s AD became influenced by the

Spanish. Before the Spanish these islands had their own written language

with literature, dance, music, plays and a unique boating technology

Manunggui Burial

Jar, c. 1500

BC/BCE on its lid

there are two

boatmen in a

traditional

“banca” traveling

across a mythical

body of water to

the after life.

Woven baskets with fitted

lids out of palm leaves,

different designs for

different shaped fish and

“pasiking” or back packs

are traditional. Other

Pacific island cultures

have baskets with fitted

lids as well.

Textiles woven with portable

back strap looms and stable

looms have religious

importance and are used as

blankets and clothing.

Deigns have symbolic

meaning representing

animals for good luck,

fertility, rain, and more.

INDONESIA, JAVA, & MALAYSIA

Batik is a style of art

where artists draw with

wax and then dye

cloth, the cloth does

not take the color

where the wax is.

Ikat is a woven cloth

style that uses tie dyed

yarn creating what looks

like blurred edges in the pattern.

Shadow Puppets

before TV and movies

they were used to act

out plays

Traditional culture is influenced by Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam many

temples and mosques are built. A complex and unique musical, dance,

and theatre tradition has been practiced here for centuries.

Quiz: Pacific Islands 1. Australia: name the rock that is an Aboriginal sacred site.

2. What style of painting is traditionally used by Australian Aborigines?

3. Indonesia, Bali, Java, & Malaysia: name 3 special ways of creating art used

4. What makes Batik cloth unusual?

5. What makes Ikat cloth unusual?

6. What is cloth made from on Samoa?

7. What is the most well know art of the Rapa Nui on Easter Island?

8. What art form are the Marquesas known for?

1 pts.

1 pts.

3 pts.

1 pts.

1 pts.

1 pts.

1 pts.

1 pts.

Quiz: Pacific Islands 1. Australia: name the rock that is an Aboriginal sacred site.

2. What style of painting is traditionally used by Australian Aborigines?

3. Indonesia, Bali, Java, & Malaysia: name 3 special ways of creating art used

4. What makes Batik cloth unusual?

5. What makes Ikat cloth unusual?

6. What is cloth made from on Samoa?

7. What is the most well know art of the Rapa Nui on Easter Island?

8. What art form are the Marquesas known for?

1 pts.

1 pts.

3 pts.

1 pts.

1 pts.

1 pts.

1 pts.

1 pts.

Ayers Rock or Uluru

Dots

Batik, Ikat, & Shadow Puppets

Designs are painted with wax

The cloth is woven with tie dyed yarn

Coconut bark

Colossal Stone Sculptures

Tattoos

Resources

http://www.koleksyon.com/filipinoheritage/

visual-arts/pre-colonial-period.asp

http://aes.iupui.edu/rwise/countries/australi

a&pacificislands.html

http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/ma

p/malaysia_map.htm

http://www.yourchildlearns.com/online-

atlas/Asia/images/malaysia.gif