CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
ART OF PACIFIC CULTURES
28
Multiple Choice
1. The Feather Cloak, or Kearny Cloak (Fig. 28-16) has a foundation made from
A. coconut fibers.
B. strung pearls.
C. pineapple leaves.
D. cornhusks.
2. What do the artists of The Barunga Statement (Fig. 28-1) use to relay the ancestral narratives
of both cultures represented?
A. composition
B. iconography
C. perspective
D. implied motion
3. Which of the following was prized in New Zealand and considered to have sacred powers?
A. emerald
B. sapphire
C. jadeite
D. coral
4. The structure of the Maori meeting house (whare nui) stands on an open plaza called a
A. turanga.
B. hapu.
C. iwi.
D. marae.
5. What was the purpose of much of the art that indigenous Australian peoples developed?
A. to commemorate historical events
B. to celebrate the culture’s heroes and leaders
C. to relive and transmit stories about ancestors
D. as part of burial and death rituals
6. Although today some Asmat bisj poles (Fig. 28-6) are sold to outsiders, traditionally they were
A. buried with the bodies of the deceased.
B. left in swamps to deteriorate.
C. placed behind residential houses.
D. burned in ritual ceremonies.
7. What was the function of the stick charts called wapepe or mattang (Fig. 28-9) that were
created by the people of the Marshall Islands?
A. show navigational routes connecting islands
B. relay ritual information to younger generations
C. record historical events, such as war and succession
D. document astrological relationships
8. Among New Guinea and its neighboring islands, there are more than 700
A. languages.
B. lizards.
C. roads.
D. animals.
9. The moai on Rapa Nui (Fig. 28-17) have parallel lines on their ears, suggesting
A. religious worship.
B. ear ornaments.
C. human sacrifice.
D. class structure.
10. What unusual feature appears in the relief carvings of ancestors covering the supporting
structures of the Te-Hau-Ki Turanga meeting house?
A. a plaque calling for the rights of indigenous peoples in New Zealand
B. soft, shallow surface carving resulting from the use of stone tools
C. a naturalistic portrait of the artist
D. figures shown with their tongues sticking out
11. What common artistic interest appears in most Pacific cultures?
A. monumental structures used for religious purposes
B. tattooing and performative arts
C. narrative imagery depicting cultural history
D. emphasis on the sea and marine life
12. What element of tattooing was most sacred to people of the Marquesas Islands?
A. the symbolism of the designs and patterns
B. the process of shedding blood
C. the display of status and wealth
D. the ceremony involved on the completion of the tattoo
13. Which ritual involves the initiation of girls?
A. korambu
B. malagan
C. bisj
D. nggwal
14. The Asmat culture’s production of bisj spirit poles reflects their belief that
A. spirits can be called on to settle disputes, stop fights, and punish lawmakers.
B. relatives must avenge the deaths of their ancestors.
C. wealth and status can be attained through homage to one’s ancestors.
D. ancestral Spirit Beings arrived from the sea and took many different forms.
15. The Maori tradition of building a large wooden meeting house evolved after
A. the population experienced dramatic growth.
B. contact with Westerners.
C. the introduction of steel tools.
D. Raharuhi Rukupo introduced a new design.
16. The moai found at Rapa Nui have no
A. hair.
B. eyes.
C. hands.
D. legs.
17. How has the production of bark cloth changed in modern times?
A. Environmental concerns about extinct species of trees has ended its production.
B. The bark is now beaten using a mechanical process.
C. Contemporary fabric paint is often used for decoration.
D. Synthetic material resembling bark is used.
18. In the Wahgi tribe of New Guinea, loosely woven netted work bags called bilum (Fig. 28-5)
indicate .
A. whether a woman is eligible to marry.
B. the social rank of the wearer.
C. an individual’s profession.
D. different ancestral affiliations.
19. What symbolized the female womb in korambo spirit houses of the Abelam culture?
A. triangular floorplan
B. small door
C. figurative sculpture
D. open hearth
20. Which Micronesian site known for its extensive architectural complex had been abandoned
before Europeans discovered it in the nineteenth century?
A. Marshall Islands
B. Palau
C. Yap
D. Nan Madol
21. As they migrated across the Pacific, Polynesians brought with them the knowledge of
producing media, such as
A. tuff.
B. bark cloth.
C. bamboo.
D. coral.
22. The most extensively tattooed of all Polynesians lived
A. in New Zealand.
B. on the Marquesas Islands.
C. on New Ireland.
D. on Samoa.
23. Which ancient culture probably migrated from Taiwan to Melanesia about 6,000 years ago?
A. Mongolian
B. Chinese
C. Lapita
D. European
24. The monumental moai figures on Rapa Nui are carved from
A. granite.
B. tuff.
C. marble.
D. coral.
25. In the Maori culture the poupou is used for what architectural purpose on a meeting house?
A. house panel
B. painted interior pattern
C. lattice panel
D. support pole
Short Answer
1. What do Tubuan masks represent?
2. How do the Asmat people create spirit poles?
3. What are moai, and how is their iconography interpreted?
4. How did the Hawaiians use feathers in their art?
5. What was Nan Madol?
6. What are the four geographic areas of Oceania?
7. Why were the visual arts of the Pacific cultures connected to music, dance, and oral literature?
8. What is Dreamtime for Indigenous Australians?
9. How does Shigeyuki Kihara challenge typical gender roles in Ulugali’i Samoa: Samoan
Couple (Fig. 28-21)?
10. What distinctive designs and styles developed throughout Oceania?
Essay
1. Discuss the idea of gender and gender roles in Oceanic cultures.
Answer:
2. Discuss the production and purposes of bark cloth in Samoa.
3. In what ways does the art of the Pacific cultures convey the connection of the peoples to their
environments?
4. Compare and contrast Man’s Love Story (Fig. 28-20) and The Barunga Statement (Fig. 28-1).
5. Discuss the role of the Maori Meeting House, including its iconography.