Papua New Guinea Art and Culture

The second largest island in the world it is  home to a people and a culture like no other. Like the island nation of Japan, Papua New Guinea was isolated for westernization, until the mid 18th century. 

Info on the Island:

• On the island there are over 900 different languages spoke
• Large amount of animal and plant life with over 30 different species of pigs
• Has both snow- covered mountains and low valleys 
• Over 100 different tribes each with a different tradition.

Architecture: The architecture of the island nation is that of Hawaii or Indonesia.We see the large central community building in most tribes that are permanent. They all seem to be constructed with a steeple like facade, which points to the heavens. The other buildings in the village would most likely be a hut like structure with round pointed roofs to keep water from settling and destroying the roofs. 

Art Form: The Mask 

Masks in Papuan culture are very VERY important. There are five major forms of masks.

These include:

Ancestral Masks/Figures: These masks or figures represented past ancestors and loved ones who have past away.It also was a way to keep that individuals spirit in the village.

Mwai Masks: These masks are used only when the time has come for a boy to become a man. The masks will be worn by the village elders during the ceremony.

Savi Masks: These masks are used to ward off black magic and evil spirits.They are said to be the protectors of the clan, and defend them from enemies of the tribe.

Dance Masks: These masks would accompany a costume and ceremony. They would be used to receive blessings from the spirits for war parties or good harvests. 

Canoe Prow Masks: These masks were fastened on the front of the canoes. They were said to have spirit warriors in them that would protect and guide the canoe and all inside. 

Art Form: The Shields and Hooks

The culture also included many painted shields and hooks used for battle. 

The Hook: The hook had multiply uses in Papuan culture,the first was to enclose evil spirits, and the second was a more practical uses , hanging food. The last was the hook was used in battle as a club. 

The Ceremonial Shield: Oddly enough these shield never felt the blow of a weapon. The shield were brought to the battle field as "good luck charms" then set down once the fighting started.The shields place was in the home.They were used to ward off neighboring spirits that would try to take things from the home. No two of the shields are a like. 

For more information on this and other island cultures check out Lost Worlds Art

Australian Aboriginal Art

The Aboriginal people of Australia are one of the oldest groups of people in the world. It is said that the natives of Australia have been there for all most 70,000 years. The name Aboriginal was given to the natives when English colonists came to settle and develop Australia. The word means "the originals". 

 The people of Australia developed three main art forms. The first was used almost 70,000 years ago. It was the creation of rock paintings. Like those of France and Spain, the Aboriginal people created paintings on rocks instead of caves. The paintings did not stop at rocks. They also used the backs of the bark from the Eucalyptus tree to create small, more portable paintings. These paintings have been called the Dreamtime. This Dreamtime is said to be the creation story, for the Aboriginal people. These paintings of birds telling kangaroos of a hunter or large fish were said to have possessed magical powers. If you painted picture of large bountiful catches of fish, that's what you would receive. These works were said to be a part of ceremonial process. The natives used paints made from Ocher, a hard iron-oxide substance and other natural pigments. For their brushes they used sticks.

The second form is a dot like form, similar to Seurat, who painted also using small dots. The National Museum of Australian Art  tells us that, "The works feature a symbolic language of U shapes, concentric circles, journey lines and bird and animal tracks." These patterns in the art are extremely detailed, colorful, and time consuming. 

The third art form is the painting of faces and bodies of the Aboriginal people. This art form is clearly beyond the European tradition. The painting of the human body is seen in numerous other native societies such as the Americans of North, Central  and South America. According to Indigenous In-style,a Australian blog,"Some different types of Australian Aboriginal art that are particularly used to decorate the body include scars, feathers, ornaments, face paint, and body paint. Symbols are heavily used and can denote many things about the person who uses it. Body painting is often used to tell a story." The symbolism involved in creating and telling a story on a human body takes much time and patience.( Below are some commonly used symbols) For more infomation check out this video: National Geographic Rock Art