Which surfaces were painted in traditional Oceanic art?

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In traditional Oceanic art, painting was considered a way to animate objects with magical, vivifying powers. Beyond sculpture, artists applied paint to a variety of surfaces, including:1

  • Rock faces: Particularly common in Australia.1
  • Bark: Used as panels in Australia.1
  • Tapa: Cloth made from pounded bark, which was widely used for painting in Melanesia and Polynesia.1
  • Sago-palm spathes: Frequently used as a surface for paintings in Melanesia.1
  • Architectural elements: In Micronesia, painted bas-relief scenes were applied to the timbers and gables of men’s meetinghouses in Palau.2
  • Utilitarian objects: Items such as wooden bowls and canoes were often decorated with traditional painted patterns.2

These works were typically created using ochres and vegetable-derived pigments, applied with brushes made from frayed sticks, feather bundles, or even fingers.1