Oceania

This frontispiece illustrates a Māori man adorned with 'Moko-kuri', an ancient style of tattooing characterized by short, straight lines. He is depicted with several markers of high status, including a hei-tiki (nephrite pendant), a heru (comb) in his hair, and a patu (hand club), providing a visual record of 19th-century European interpretations of traditional Māori identity.

This portrait illustrates the intricate art of Tā moko (facial tattooing) as attributed to the legendary figure Mata-ora, who according to Māori tradition, brought the art of permanent tattooing from the underworld. The subject is depicted with high-status markers, including a kahu huruhuru (feather cloak), a heru (bone comb), and sacred Huia feathers. Published in John White's 1887 'Ancient History of the Maori', this engraving serves as a vital historical record of traditional Māori aesthetics and social hierarchy.

This intricate frontispiece illustrates the cultural and natural landscape of New Zealand, the setting for the myths collected by Sir George Grey. It depicts a carved Maori waka (canoe) prow in the foreground, leading the eye towards a fortified pa and a towering volcanic peak, likely Mount Taranaki. The engraving by J.W. Whymper exemplifies the 19th-century European fascination with Polynesian cultures and landscapes.

This detailed engraving depicts the intricate wood carvings at Kohinemutu, Rotorua, as documented in Sir George Grey's 1855 work on Polynesian mythology. The central structure, featuring a large ancestral figure, serves as a gateway, illustrating the profound integration of Maori art and architecture within the community's social and spiritual life.