Oceania is made up of thousands of islands, from the vast territory of New Guinea to a myriad of tiny coral atolls, and its indigenous peoples have developed civilizations of enormous 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 survey of the arts of these Pacific islands brings together a great number of important discoveries and the results of several detailed studies of Oceanic arts. It also provides general readers with an introduction through a series of texts and 900 illustrations, and a documentary section on the principal cultural groups of the region.