Oceanic Art History

Captain Cook

A British explorer who charted Polynesia and claimed Australia for Britain. His three voyages opened up the Pacific Islanders to European contact. Many of the knowledge on tattooing and Polynesian customs we have today are a result from the artists' that accompanied Cook. Unlike previous European explorers, he was impressed with the Tahitian's navigational skills and believed that they did in fact cross over the pacific ocean in their canoes.

Tahunga/Tofunga/Kahuna

They were considered the artists/priests in Polynesian society. _____ like the Ariki were also thought to be connected to the divine. By spending a great deal of time on their art and repeating special chants while working they infused their work with mana. For this reason, art was only made for the Ariki. One example of a ______ duty was to tattoo the ariki, which was a very sacred and important ritual in Polynesian culture.

Siapo/Tapa

A bark cloth that is widely made throughout the Pacific Islands and used as a form of dress. It was a very laborious task to beat the bark down flat, but when it finally was decorative stamps were added on top. This is a women's art form due to the additive nature of it. Families were expected to have this in their homes and if they didn't they were considered poor. Due to the fact it was very stiff, uncomfortable, and difficult to make it lost popularity over time.

Moko

A facial tattoo done by the Maori tribe in New Zealand. While women would only get their lips and chin tattooed, men would have their entire face done. These designs were individualized and were often used as signatures to sign documents during the 19th century. Due to the whole process taking many months and because it was very tapu, the person receiving it would be fed through a funnel. Unique to the Maori, was the texture this method of tattooing created in the skin rather than pigment alone. It was also done during puberty, to prevent aging as it was placed where wrinkles would show up. A man who did not have moko but should was known as bare-boned. Because the heads were filled with mana, they would often be preserved, which fascinated England. The demand for moko heads became so high, that the practice died out for fear of being killed for their head.

ahu

A large platform that the moai would be placed on. It also signifies a sacred ceremonial site where several moai stand. Ahu Tongariki, the largest Ahu on Rapa Nui, had its moai toppled over during the islands civil war and later was swept away by a tsunami. It has since been restored with 15 moai.

Ariki

A member of noble rank in Polynesian society.____ are born into this position, as their descent lines are linked with the gods. They possessed a high amount of mana which could be potentially dangerous for a commoner to come into contact with. The amount of manu an ____ possessed would go up or down based on his achievements, status and popularity with the people.

Atua/Akua

Atua is the term for a god used by Polynesian people such as the Maori. It is Polynesian for strength and power. In Hawaii they call it akua and it means the gods who created everything and keep everything working.

Lapita

Earliest Polynesians who traveled more than 5000mi. through the Pacific ocean from Southeast Asia. They are well known for their pottery; designs found on the pots were also used for tattoo design on the skin. They were excellent navigators, and were able to travel more than 5000 km into the ocean by using the stars, wind, birds and maps made of bamboo sticks with shells to navigate.

Queen Lili'uokalani

First and last Hawaiian queen. In 1890 the United States annexed Hawaii and her title was taken from her after she tried to restore more power to the throne. She was known for wearing her black holoku as a symbol of the grief she felt after losing the throne. The Hawaiians always loved her and she became a symbol of endurance among the people.

George Nuku

He is a contemporary Mouri artist and chief who is also credited with a revival in the Mauri cultural tradition of moko. His art pieces bring many of the ancient Mouri customs into modern times such as the whare. He created a plexi-glass version of the ancestral house. He sculpts in ancient maori tradition, but with modern day materials.

King Kamehameha

He was king of hawaii, and in 1810 unified the islands under the Kamehameha dynasty. Unlike previous rulers who relied on the half-body tattoo for bodily protection, Kamehameha had only one mark of mourning on his forehead and used more modern weapons like guns. Also, his feather cloak was not the traditional red straight-neckline type. Instead his cloak had a 'modern' shaped neckline and was completely yellow, which symbolized political power rather than sacred.

Ahu'ula

In Hawaiian culture, these feather cloaks were worn only by the warrior class or high-ranking chiefs. Certain elements found in this cloak resulted in it containing a high amount of mana. These elements were... Color-red/yellow were sacred colors Shape-crescent/rainbow shape was divine Material-bird feathers, birds were connected to the gods Time-over 9000 feathers had to be collected and stitching together to hours and hours

Whare

In New Zealand, the Maori built these houses for the men of the tribe to conduct plans and rituals. Carved wood panels were always present, and were done by the men. Women were responsible for the bark cloth, where designs were placed on top of the cloth. The men's art is known as papoa and is subtractive, where the women's is additive and is called tukutuku. The house as a whole represents the body of an ancestor, and is very tapu. The space right outside the front is very sacred, and a pare figure is located above the doorway making it safe to enter.

Mana

In Polynesian culture, ____ is the impersonal, sacred force that flows in and out of people and objects. It is also linked with genealogical rank, fertility, and protocol. While everyone has the same ______, the amount of it differs from person to person. Divine rulers, for instance have more _____ than common people. _____ could also be infused into art by the artist chanting while creating it, and by the amount of time spent on it.

moai

Large sculptures of heads done by the Rapa Nui and located on Easter Island. Captain James Cook was the first to record the _____ in 1774. The people did not know exactly how their ancestors made them but they credit mana. The heads, which were faces of chiefs, were often carved out of volcanic rock and then rolled to the coast where they would be placed on an ahu. When famine and deforestation began affecting the people they turned the heads around to face the sea as a cry for outside help, and even knocked some of them down into the ocean.

Tapu/Kapu

Means taboo, or restricted/forbidden. This was used to control how people interacted with each other among different classes. The chiefs house and food was inferior or ___to outsiders. Even an Ariki's shadow was considered tapu, and could potentially harm or kill a commoner.

Pe'a

Samoan men, in their 20's or 30's, receive this to show they are ready to receive their title. It extends from the waist to the knee, and contains parallel line work and geometric patterns. Lines curving around the sides symbolize an anchor, which anchors a man back to his home. A square around the navel links him to his mother or ancestors, a triangle represents a canoe, and a fruit bat represents the overall ___.

Holoku

This is the Hawaiian take on a western dress. Ho-means run and Ku-stop, which refers to the sewing machine used to make them. The bustline was moved from below the bust the above, which made it uniquely Hawaiian. A Black Holoku became a trademark for Queen Lili'uokalani who wore one in response to her throne being annexed by the United States.

Malu

This is the Samoan term for the female tatau. Compared to the pe'a it is much more delicate and lace like. It was applied only to the thighs, and was far less extensive than the male tatau. The _____ is sometimes flashed when women perform traditional dances.

Tatau

This is where we get our term tattoo today, and was a widespread tradition throughout Polynesia. The arrival of christian missionaries led to the practice being outlawed in many parts. Needles, which were often made of bone, turtle shell, bamboo, and shark teeth contained pigment which would puncture the skin with repeated taps. The process was done by a Tahunga, who would often determine who could get a tatau and what the design would be. Due to the shedding of blood it was very tapu and dangerous for commoners. The Tahunga would also chant during the process to infuse the tatau with mana. According to legend, the two sisters who brought the art of tatau from Figi to Samoa, mixed up the rule that only women were to get tatau, which is why the male form (pe'a) is much more prevalent.

Kumulipo

This literally means 'beginning in deep darkness' and is a genealogical chant known as the Hawaiian creation chant. Captain cook recorded hearing it when he got to Hawaii and years later Queen Lili'uokalani translated it. The first mention of Ao, which refers to lightness and Po, which relates to darkness, is found in this. By reciting this during the tattoo process, the chant could enter the skin and become permanently captured.

Po

___ is connected with darkness, night, chaos and the divine, a realm that humans could not enter. It is feminine in Polynesian culture, and the opposite of Ao which is male. ___ was the realm of death, yet it was from ___ all things were created. It is mentioned in the Kumulipo creation chant, and often said during the tattoo process.

Ao

___ is connected with the sky, day, light, order, and the human realm. It is masculine in Polynesian culture, and Po is its feminine opposite. They are both mentioned in the Kumulipo creation chant, which is often said during the tattoo process.

Moai Kavakava

____ means "image" and ____ "ribs", thus image with ribs. The small wooden statues originate from Rapa Nui on Easter island. The emaciated figures show the lack of resources and famine the people were faced with. During ceremonies these were worn around the necks. The fact that these are made of wood, which was such a precious resource, shows how valuable these were to the people.