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Western Polynesia

About 1000 BC, experienced and intrepid mariners travelled 700 marine miles from the main Melanesian islands to colonise Western Polynesia, a cultural area made up of several archipelagos: Fiji, Tonga, Western Samoa, American Samoa, Niue, Wallis and Futuna. Intense cultural exchange followed, particularly between Fiji, Tonga and Samoa, which led to certain cultural similarities.

Men's arts and women's arts

Many weapons from this region are now in collections all over the world. They could be used for attack or defence, but they also incarnated the prestige of the warriors they belonged to. They were used as emblems of power for the chiefs whose reputation depended entirely on prowess in battle and territorial conquests.

But creativity is not a male preserve. In the same region, the women made two types of objects for everyday use and for exchange: pottery, solely in Fiji, and tapa, a marvellous bark cloth.