The Flourishing of Island Cultures: The Art of Oceania
	The Islands of Oceania :: Melanesia :: Micronesia :: Polynesia :: Australia :: Oceanic Art Today
	MICRONESIA The art of seafaring cultures: The Austronesian-speaking cultures of Micronesia and related Polynesian outlying islands in Micronesia and Melanesia tend to stratify more than the non-Austronesian cultures in New Guinea and other Melanesian areas. They are frequently organized around chieftainships with craft and ritual specializations, and their religions include named deities as well as honored ancestors. Characteristics such as simplification and geometric abstraction of natural forms often differentiate Micronesian art from the arts of Melanesia, Polynesia, and Australia. Belau Art (Caroline Islands) Houses that tell stories: The Belau islanders create elaborately painted men's ceremonial clubhouses called bai. On a recently constructed example, the gable "storyboards" illustrate important historical events and myths related to the clan. Other elements on the façade include symbols and images of Belau deities. While the Abelam and Iatmul make their ceremonial houses by elaborate combinations of different materials, the Belau use joined wooden elements. 31-7: Bai (men's ceremonial house), Belau (Palau), Republic of Belau. Museum für Völkerkunde, Berlin. Men's Ceremonial House Bais of Balau Men's Ceremonial House Men's Ceremonial House Men's Ceremonial House A protective female figure: Although the bai was the domain of men, women figured prominently in the imagery that covered it.  This reality reveals the important symbolic and social positions that women held in this culture.  Serving as a symbol of both protection and fertility, the Dilukai was also a moralistic reminder to women to be chaste. 31-8: Dilukai, Belau (Palau). Wood, pigment, fiber, 1' 11 5/8" high. Linden Museum, Stuttgart. Dilukai Dilukai Seafaring protection: Given the importance of seafaring  and long-distance ocean travel in Micronesia, canoe building acquired a prominent position in Micronesian art and culture.  The following canoe prow ornament was intended to provide protection on arduous or long voyages. 31-9: Canoe prow ornament Chuuk, Caroline Islands. Wood, paint. British Museum, London. Similar Prow Canoe Prows
	The Islands of Oceania :: Melanesia :: Micronesia :: Polynesia :: Australia :: Oceanic Art Today