AP Art History Unit 9 The Pacific

AP Art History Course Study Guide Unit 9: The Pacific 213. Nan Madol. (Pohnpei, Micronesia. Saudeleur Dynasty. c. 700–1600 C.E. Basalt boulders and prismatic columns) a. Context: i. Saudeleur Dynasty: an early example of centralized political system in western pacific, placed high importance on agriculture and God (fertile land) ii. Sacred sea deity (Killed Turtles for them) iii. Inhabitants= Reef of Heaven iv. Dynasty fell in 1628 b. Content: i. A system of crisscrossing canals, Luxurious palaces for the rulers and smaller houses surrounding for servants ii. Contained a variety of specialized islets: some for constructing canoes, holding sacred eels, and preparing coconut oil for sacred ceremonies c. Form: i. Carved basalt from volcanic plugs, transport stones 5-50 tons from mountain to reefs ii. Nan Model translates to space between iii. Did not use concrete, used a criss crossing pattern of horizontal logs called stethoscope and perpendicular to post and lintel. d. Function: i. Served as a home to over 1000 inhabitants ii. Remote Location meant not many resources were used towards military 214. Moai on platform (ahu). (Rapa Nui (Easter Island). c. 1100–1600 C.E. Volcanic tuff figures on basalt base) a. Context: i. ii. iii. Easter Island is called Rapa Nui by the people who lived there Maoi means statue; Ahu means platform Original Location: shown on a stone platform, orongo-stone village on Rapa Nui, by the ocean AP Art History Course Study Guide b. c. d. 215. a. b. c. iv. All statues are turned with back to the sea Content: i. Carvings on the back of some statues that are believed to have been made at a later time ii. Low relief; a red top red hat-higher status, coral shell eyes Form: i. Made from chiseled stone, 14 are made from basalt while the rest are made from volcanic tuff, about 887 moai on Easter Island ii. Originally painted with red and white designs, height of the statute range from 8-70 feet tall; old statue are larger and more detailed/complex iii. Majority of statues share features such as: elongated ears, heavy eyebrow ridge, oval nostrils, emphasized clavicle, protruding nipples, thin arms that lie against the body, barely any arms. Stern expression. Function: i. Represent human spirits ancestors, made by a high status ‘Ahu ‘ula (feather cape). (Hawaiian. Late 18th century C.E. Feathers and fiber) Context: i. This cape was retained by Captain Cook’s widow and inherited by the descendants of her cousins, Rear Admiral Issac Smith ii. Cook arrived in Kealakekua Bay on 01.26.1779 which was at the same time as Makahiki seasonal festivals iii. Kalaniopuu (chief) greeted cook in a ceremonial way and gave him his cloak iv. Last bird spotted in 1930 Content: i. A feather cloak-yellow and red: Red associated with Gods and chiefs across Polynesia, Yellow= valuable because of their scarcity in the Hawaiian Island ii. Feather cloaks and capes were symbols of power and social standing Hawaiian culture Form: i. Made with feathers and olona fiber ii. Feathers were attached to the nesting in overlapping rows AP Art History Course Study Guide Exterior=red feathers from the’ iui bird; black and yellow feathers are from the oo bird iv. Dimensions: 64x15.5 inches v. 500,000 feathers=some birds had only 7 usable feathers vi. Coconut fiber were used as the based d. Function: i. Male nobility wore feathers cloaks/capes for ceremonies and battle 216. Staff god. (Rarotonga, Cook Islands, central Polynesia. Late 18th to early 19th century C.E. Wood, tapa, fiber, and feathers.) a. Context: i. Wooden and humanistic head on top and end has naturalistic phallus ii. Missionary cut of the phallus bc it’s indecent; they also convinced Rartongan people to embrace christianity and abandon their own faith iii. Producing barkcloth was a demanding complicated process b. Content: i. 12 feet long; elongated body topped by carved head; head makes up about ⅓ of wood carving: smooth, stylized large eye, pointed chin, closed mouth ii. A line of smaller figures were carved just below the head iii. Small figures alongside larger ones=characteristic of Polynesian Art iv. Most of the figures are encased in Barkcloth: clothing and protection c. Form: i. Reference to Tangaroa as a god of fertility ii. Barkcloth wrapping: polynesian believed cloth was needed to protect deity’s spiritual force; iii. Red feathers and pearls on the wooden head act as a symbol of mana iv. If wrapping was off then deity would leave and staff god would be useless d. Function: i. Symbol of manara or soul of the God; protects ancestral power of “mana” or deity of the society 217. Female deity. (Nukuoro, Micronesia. c. 18th to 19th century C.E. Wood. a. Context: i. Nukuoro is a micronesian atoll (ring shaped coral reef) in western pacific ii. It was settled in the 8th century C.E. by polynesians traveling in Canoes from Samoa iii. Nukuoro culture retained Polynesian influences such as social structures and the practice of carving humans iii. AP Art History Course Study Guide b. Content: i. Deities were believed to inhabit animals, piece of woods, and wood figures called tino aitu ii. Sacrifices to the figurine occurred each year during harvest iii. Lack of facial details and the flexed legs provide a “blank canvas” ready to take on a deity’s vital force iv. Stylized human figures c. Form: i. Sculpture, wooden, 40 cms ii. Made from the BreadFruit Tree, Pumice was used to make it shiny d. Function: i. Religion purposes ii. Used for a special annual harvest rituals iii. Placed in temples, decorated with jewels 218. Buk (mask) (Torres Strait. Mid- to late 19th century C.E. Turtle shell, wood, fiber, feathers, and shell) a. Context: i. Torres strait is between Australia and Papua New Guinea and has many small uninhabited islands ii. Diego de Prado found turtle shell in 1606 iii. Very dependent on ocean life so fishing was vital to survival iv. Language of the island is Kala Lagaw Ya v. Island became Christianized: Missioned burned their masks since practice were seen as obsolete b. Content: i. Significant performances ii. Honoring/depicting hero or ancestor iii. Bird could be a mythological totem connected to a family c. Form: i. Heated individual hawk bill, sea turtles shell plates so they become flexible and could be bent to create desire shape ii. Each plate then had to be pierced around the edges so that maker could use fiber to thread plates together iii. Connected plates=formed 3D appearance d. Function: i. Ceremonial significance; ritualistic uses 219. Hiapo (tapa). (Niue. c. 1850–1900 C.E. Tapa or bark cloth, freehand painting.) a. Context: AP Art History Course Study Guide i. b. c. d. 220. a. b. c. Cloth is from Niue, a small polynesian island country located 1500 miles northeast of New Zealand, located next to Tongo, Samoa and Cook Islands; allowed for lots of trade with Christian missionaries in the region ii. Tapa cloth traditionally seen as women’s art as it is a type of weaving and works with soft materials Content: i. Certain designs were designed for people with high social status/rank ii. Different culture and islands would present similar pieces of cloth to places they travel to by boat Form i. Fine lines, detailed geometric design such as spirals, concentric circles, squares, triangles, and diminishing motifs ii. Along the edge=representation of plants Function: i. Tapa used for clothing bedding and wall hangings, displayed on special occasions Tamati Waka Nene (Gottfried Lindauer. 1890 C.E. Oil on canvas) Context: i. Lindauer and his patron: Henry Patridge ii. He tend to paint well known Maori in Maori clothing for Europeans purchases but painted unknown Maori in European clothing when commissioned by their families iii. Painted in 1890-3years after he died Content: i. Maori man-indifenous people of New Zealand ii. A Rangatira or Chief of the Ngati Hao ppl in Hokianga-from the Ngapuhi tribe iii. Important war and peacetime leader iv. Estimated to be born in 1780s and died in 1871 v. He converted to the Wesleyan faith and baptised in 1839 choosing to become Tamati Waka after Thomas Walker Form: i. Cloak: a Kahu Kiwi: from Kiwi birds ii. Earring of Greenstone or pounamu iii. Both are considered prestigious treasures iv. weapons=tewhatewha which are adorned with feathers and has a finely carved hand grip with an abalone or paua eye v. mana=connection to power and prestige vi. moko=facial tattoos vii. Background=foliage mountains and sky AP Art History Course Study Guide d. Function: i. Preserving the person in history ii. Bring the presence of ancestors into the living world-so the painting does not only show the image/appearance of Tamati Waka Nene but also physically embody him 221. Navigation chart (Marshall Islands, Micronesia. 19th to early 20th century C.E. Wood and fiber) a. Context: i. Micronesians in Northwest Pacific are renowned for navigational skills ii. Religiously guarded their charts iii. Showed that they traded between different tribes and islands b. Content: i. Chat is form of a Rebbelib ii. Composed of wooden sticks: horizontal and vertical acts as supports and the diagonal and curved ones represents wave swells iii. Shells represents where the islands are c. Form: i. Wooden sticks bound leaves and connected by shells representing Marshall islands d. Function: i. Used for navigation ii. Different charts represents differing degrees of geographical measurements 222. Malagan display and mask. (New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea. c. 20th century C.E. Wood, pigment, fiber, and shell) a. Context i. Malagan are concerned with honoring/dismissing dead but as affirmation of the identity of clan ii. Often used representation of fish/birds since it alludes to specific myth iii. Figures were collected by Hughe Hastings family, Deputy commissioner for western Pacific while he was on tour of New Ireland in 1882-83 b. Content: i. Mask can represents many things: Dead ancestors, spiritual double of an individual or the various bush spirits associated with the area c. Form: i. Different mask made of same materials and pigment AP Art History Course Study Guide d. Function: i. Commonly used at funeral sites; send a farewell off the to the dead; celebrate the achievements/life of dead ii. Also used as a sort of copyright; when someone buys a piece, the seller gives up his right to use that particular style again 223. Presentation of Fijian mats and tapa cloths to Queen Elizabeth II. (Fiji, Polynesia. 1953 C.E. Multimedia performance (costume; cosmetics, including scent; chant; movement; and pandanus fiber/hibiscus fiber mats), photographic documentation) a. Context: i. On Dec. 1753, queen visited kingdom of Tonga, which was the only pacific nation to retain a Monarchy and was protected by british government ii. Cloth is presented as a gift in special ceremonies iii. Queen Elizabeth witnessed many Fijian traditions and participated in Kava Ceremony b. Content: i. Procession of women: skirts made of barkcloth and mats ii. Tapa mats were made from bark of mulberry tree 1. Mend tend to the trees but only women can make the actual fabric 2. Bark is cut into strips and beat with a hammer 3. Women beat them together to form long plain sheets 4. Designs were painted onto cloth by hand c. Form: i. Black and white photo of women wearing skirts ii. Women skirts=painted with geometric patterns; men are wearing white clothing d. Function: i. Presented as gifts to important people