The first major survey of Oceanic arts to be published in more than thirty years, this comprehensive volume brings together a vast number of important discoveries and the results of several in-depth studies of the subject, both past and present. Building on contemporary research and the most recent theoretical work, it also provides an introduction for the general reader through a series of remarkable texts and 900 illustrations, many never before published. A documentary section about the principal cultural groups of the region provides an essential reference. An excellent map adds further value.