Vanuatu

Tamtam (Slit Drums)

Intricately carved large vertical wooden slit drums of stunning appearance are possibly Vanuatu’s best-known art forms in the outside world.  From the island of...

Mask making

Mask making is regulated and protected by numerous traditional taboos and levels of secrecy. The latter restrictions are still part of normal life in...
Chief Jerry Taki (centre) with Erromangans proudly displaying some examples of the newly made decorated barkcloth collection for the Australian Museum at the Umponielongi cultural-festival, southern Erromango, May 2008.

Erromango Nemas

Until the end of the nineteenth century, the production of nemas (barkcloth) was found widely distributed around island of Erromango. Nemas was made from a...