A glossary of basic terminology that is often used in discussions about art of the Pacific.
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‘ahu’ula |
literally, “red garments,” these are cloaks and capes worn by Hawaiian male nobility
 Feather cape, probably before 1850 C.E., Hawaii |
| ahu | stone platform, such as those found associated with moai on Easter Island |
| atoll | an atoll is a ring-shaped coral reef including a coral rim that encircles a lagoon partially or completely |
| bark cloth | sometimes called tapa, barkcloth is found throughout the Pacific (although in some places today it has almost disappeared). It has different local names as well, such as kapa in Hawai’i and siapo in Samoa. It is made from the bark of the dye-fid or paper mulberry tree, and can be decorated with patterns. It has been used in a number of different ways, including as clothing or to wrap sacred objects (such as “god staffs” in the Cook Islands). |
| basalt | a type of volcanic stone |
| Buk | a type of mask
 Mask (Buk), Torres Strait, Mabuiag Island, mid to late 19th century |
| Captain Cook | first European person to the South Pacific islands in the late 1700s |
| hiapo | early Niuean bark cloth (see bark cloth above too) |
| i’iwi bird | red feathered bird; feathers used for Hawaiian ceremonial feather cloaks |
| Kava ceremony | kava is a type of tee that comes from the Kava root. The drink is sipped by community members in order of their rank in the Fijian community. |
| Lapita People | first inhabitants of Polynesia who share roots with Australian natives |
| Malangan | refers to one or more intricate carvings from the island of New Ireland in Papua New Guinea. These carvings may take the form of a mask, a wooden board or “frieze,” a sturdy house pole, a circular, woven mat, or a scaled model of a dugout canoe with or without human figures inside
 Funerary Carving (Malagan), late 19th–early 20th century, Papua New Guinea, New Ireland |
| Nan-Maldol | Once the political and ceremonial center for the ruling chiefs of the Sau Deleur dynasty (c. 1100–1628), Nan Madol is a complex of close to 100 artificial rectilinear islets spread over 200 acres that are thought to have housed up to 1000 people. |
| Māori | peoples native to New Zealand |
| mattang | navigation charts used to train future navigators among peoples of the Pacific Islands. Such charts depict general information about swell movements around one or more small islands.
 Navigation chart (mattang), probably 19th or early 20th century C.E., Marshall Islands, Micronesia |
| meddo or rebbelib | Navigation chart used for memory not directions; often cover either a large section or all of the Marshall Islands. Other charts show a smaller area. |
| Melanesia | refers to a region of the western Pacific that includes the islands and island groups of Fiji, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu |
| Micronesia | A region of the Pacific Islands that includes more than 2,100 islands, including the Marshall Islands, Guam, and Kiribati |
| Moai | stone statues built by the first people who came to Easter Island and embody the ancestors who first came. Many are toppled today.
 Moai of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) |
| moko | an intricate facial tattoo among the Māori |
| New Ireland | a small island of the southwestern Pacific, just south of the equator; part of Papua New Guinea |
| Polynesian Triangle | stretches from Hawai’i in the north to Aotearoa (New Zealand) in the south, and Rapa Nui (Easter Island) in the east |
| Rapa Nui | original name of Easter Island |
| totem |
a natural object or animal that is believed by a particular society to have spiritual significance and that is adopted by it as an emblem
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| tapa | cloth made of bark usually put together by women and worn or hung for special occasions
 Masi (tapa cloth), likely used as a room divider, Fiji |
| tino aitu | stones, pieces of wood or wooden figurines that represent local deities in Nukuoro |
| taonga tuku iho | treasures passed down from Māori ancestors, which are treated with great care and reverence |
| Torres Strait | a strait between Australia and New Guinea, and which includes more than 270 islands now known as the Torres Strait Islands |
| Tridacna shell blades | a genus of large saltwater clams, sometimes used as blades in tools |
| wharenui | the central building of the Māori community center |
* Thank you to Zoe Joyner for her help preparing this glossary.
