Pre-Christian To‘o deity images of the Society Islands are extremely abstracted representations of divine personhood. Some have a core of carved and polished wood wrapped in barkcloth, feathers, and plaited coconut fibre; some have vestigial eyes, arms, and legs. This example, however, is completely aniconic. A central hank of plaited and folded coir is wrapped in a knotted cover, then tightly bound together. The plaiting and application of fibre wrappings and bindings was a central part of traditional Oceanic religion. In conjunction with the reciting of appropriate chants and prayers, these constructive activities bound metaphysical efficacy (mana) into artefacts, both consecrating them and insulating their dangerous power.

The two-handed sword-like pakipaki was the most popular type of early-19th century Tongan ‘akau tau war-club. They were highly refined in form with mathematically defined principles of proportion. The engraving of ‘akau tau is among the most stylistically complex of all Pacific artforms; several hundred distinct motifs have been documented, although the meanings of these symbols are now only partially understood. They generally represent the motifs of Tongan lashing, basketry, barkcloth painting, and tattooing. This engraved surface of wrappings insulated and displayed the weapon’s mana (metaphysical efficacy). ‘Akau tau which had killed in battle were understood to accumulate mana and develop a named supernatural personhood over time.

Historically, shark tooth knives were found in many parts of Oceania, although generally reserved for ceremonial purposes. This mira tuatini demonstrates the exceptional qualities of New Zealand Māori wood sculpture: Fretwork, stretched and entangled human figures, abalone shell inlay, sinuously curved and branching lines. The carving represents two profile manaia figures, one forming the blade and the other the handle. They were used for cutting flesh in supernaturally dangerous (tapu) situations: When fishing, they were used for decapitating sharks and turtles. In battle, they were used to butcher slain enemies for cannibalism, and to decapitate fallen comrades so that their mummified heads (toi moko) might be returned to their family.

When the Māori settled Aotearoa New Zealand in the 14th century, they brought many plants with them from the Cook Islands. However, their traditional plants for producing garments (pandanus and paper mulberry) were unsuited to New Zealand’s temperate climate. This led to the domestication of Harakeke, New Zealand Flax, from which this 18th century cloak is finger twined. There are many styles of Māori cloak, but the kaitaka is rendered particularly beautiful by its intricate taniko border. This cloak is further ennobled with groups of feathers in grey, blue, red, orange, and white. Kaitaka were generally worn with the taniko border at the lower edge, meaning this example is particularly unusual in having its feathers pointing upwards.

Short pahu hula drums were played to accompany hula dancing in 18th century Hawai‘i. The drum’s sharkskin tympanum is stretched across a hollow wooden cylinder, with a base modelled in two rows of crescents; comparison with other examples shows that these forms are highly abstracted from a traditional row of caryatid figures with raised arms. Captain John Laskey’s 1813 guidebook to the first Hunterian Museum mentions this artefact as one of 'two drums from the Sandwich Islands.' William Hunter almost certainly purchased this drum at the June 1781 sale of David Samwell’s collection amassed during Captain Cook’s third voyage of Pacific exploration. It forms a set with the higher-pitched GLAHM:E.367, each drum being played with one hand.

Hawaiian drums of this small coconut shell form are called puniu and generally termed knee drums in art-historical literature. They were played on the drummer’s knee with a small flexible beater of plaited coconut fibre. A small piece of kapa barkcloth is fitted between the shell and the base to cushion the shell and dampen the tone. This is one of ‘two drums from the Sandwich Islands’ described in Captain John Laskey's 1813 guide to the Museum (the other being GLAHM:E.437). It was purchased by William and John Hunter at the June 1781 auction of David Samwell’s collection, amassed during Captain James Cook’s third voyage of Pacific exploration. It is consequently one of the earliest items of Hawaiian art to have entered any European museum.