From the time of the Pacific explorers,. the Westwrn World has been fascinated by the romance of the South Seas. Sophisticated men have longed to return to the simple, primitive life epitomised by those enchanted islands. In fact, the natives of this earthly paradise inhabit a world of suprising complexity. Their lives are bounded by myths and legends which may vary from area to area but are intimately depent on the power of supernatural forces. The art of Oceania is the key to this enthralling world where a prow ornament becomes the quardian spirit of a ship, a statuette becomes an ever-watchful ancestor and a painted mask becomes the temporary residence of a god. The seventy-one marvellous colour plates in this book vividly depict the drama and mystery whidh are the essentials of Oceanic art.