Polynesian Art

The Polynesian Art combines a multitude of activities the undeniable sign of an ancestral know-how. Massaging, carving, tattooing… are part of the activities which have a very close original link with the period preceding the arrival of Christianity in Polynesia – the Polynesian way of life during that period, their social organization and beliefs. Many of their arts was made originally and improved as time goes.

These people were exceptional boat builders and sailed across the Pacific navigating by currents, stars and cloud formations. They were skilled fisherman and farmers, growing fruit trees and vegetables and raising pigs, chickens, and dogs. Islanders have also accomplished craftspeople and worked in wood, fiber, and feathers to create objects of power and beauty.

Their societies were hierarchical, with the highest ranking people tracing their descent directly from the gods.  These gods were all powerful and present in the world.  Images of them were created in wood, feathers, fiber and stone.  One of the most important items in the Museum’s collections is a carved wood figure of the Hawaiian god, Ku-ka’ilimoku, which stands over two and a half meters tall.