Oceania, (Arts of Oceania)
A general term for the primitive art of the islands of the South Pacific. The specific areas that are covered are Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. The art of these areas include ancestor figures, ceremonial shields and sticks, decorations on the bow of the canoe, masks and decorated human skulls, stone carvings, carved "stools" and other religious objects. Apart from wood and stone, are used materials like feathers, shells, straw, reeds, bamboo fiber, etc. In contrast with the African art, these materials are often used in combination. The range of styles that covered under this general term is huge. The giant figures of stone of the Easter Island, the plans onto the Maori’s wood carvings and the carved drums, masks, shields and "stools" from the Sepik River region in the northern coast of New Guinea, are among the most remarkable examples of the art of Oceania.