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How did Palau meetinghouses use carved and painted decoration?
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Oceanic art and architecture
An Aboriginal Australian decorating a tightly woven dilly bag with white, yellow, and ochre (red) paints, Northern Territory, Australia, 1948.
In Palau, men’s meetinghouses represent the most significant examples of representational art in Micronesia, utilizing elaborate carved and painted decorations to convey historical and mythical narratives.12
The architectural ornamentation of these structures included:
- Gables: These were screened with horizontal planks that featured engraved and painted scenes depicting myths and history. A life-size figure of a seated woman was often attached to the lower center of the gable, while the carved face of a god was positioned at the peak.1
- Structural Elements: Posts and beams throughout the buildings were decorated with relief carvings that mirrored the style of the gable decorations.1
- Materials and Techniques: The wood used for these carvings was typically treated to create a dark red surface and was occasionally inlaid with tridacna shell in abstract patterns.1
While these meetinghouses were once the primary canvas for such artistry, traditional Palauan carving is now more commonly associated with storyboards produced for sale to tourists.3