Oceania -- Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia -- is made up of thousands of islands, from the vast territory of New Guinea to a myriad of tiny coral atolls. Its indigenous peoples have developed civilizations of infinite variety. In most of these societies, art holds a crucial position in both social and religious life and includes not only architecture, painting, and sculpture, but also music, dance, prayer, and body decoration.

This comprehensive volume by a team of top-ranking scholars addresses the arts of these Pacific islands. The first major survey in more than 30 years, it brings together a vast number of important discoveries and the results of several in-depth studies of Oceanic arts. It also provides an introduction for the general reader through a series of remarkable texts and 900 illustrations, more than one-third of which have never before been published. A documentary section on the principal cultural groups of the region provides an essential reference.