Published on the occasion of the exhibition of the same name held at Royal Academy of Arts, London, 29th September-10th December 2018, and Musee du quai Branly, Jacques Chirac, Paris, 12th March-7th July 2019.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

From the remote shores of Rapa Nui to the dense rainforest of Papua New Guinea, the islands of the Pacific are home to some of the most culturally diverse populations on the planet. The region embraces an extraordinary range of art forms, from delicate shell ornaments to spectacularly decorated canoes and meeting houses. These have fascinated outsiders since the exploratory voyages of Captain Cook, the first of which commenced 250 years ago in 1768, and went on to entrance Gauguin and a host of other European artists. This volume accompanies a major survey in London and Paris of art from Oceania.