Cook Islands Art

The Cook Islanders are fine artisans. Cook Islands dancing is considered by many to be the best in the Pacific and the accompanying upbeat drumming is certainly renowned amongst its contemporary neighbours.

Traditional art evolves around decorative wood carvings, tattooing and tapa cloth designs. Tattooing became taboo after the introduction of Christianity in the mid 1800s but is now becoming popular again amongst Cook Islands men. Designs are based on family heritage and in ancient times, the body was symbolized with ones life. Tapa cloth has all but being neglected, but is still prominent in neighbouring Samoa, Tonga and Fiji. The phallic male god, Tangaroa, was a favourite subject for wood carvings and several fine examples can be seen in the Cook Islands Museum in Avarua Town, along with other replica wood carvings like large hollowed bowls, story boards and war clubs (most of the originals are in the Auckland Museum).


There are several good contemporary carvers working local wood and supplying the boutique shops with Tangaroa statues and other tourist trinkets like the pate slit drums. My favourite handicrafts are undoubtedly the fine hats and fans woven from the young shoots of the palm tree. These come mostly from the Northern Group where women spend hours each day preparing the leaves to make them subtle for the fine weaving required to make these stunning pieces of art. There are some nice examples of earrings woven from this material.

A fairly recent introduction to local art are the colourful Tivaevae. These hand-made quilts have been adopted as the item to symbolize ones passage of life. Every Cook Islander owns one, usually presented as a gift on their 18th birthday and these are brought out at all important ceremonies and finally laid to rest with the owner on death.


Black pearls are the latest fashion items in the Cook Islands. Farmed in the still lagoons of the Northern Group, the highly prized Cook Islands black pearls can be found in all shapes and forms at every boutique shop around the island.


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