Polynesia
By comparison with the art of Melanesia, Polynesian art appears modest in scale and relatively simple in both form and imagery. This is a somewhat deceptive impression, however; the rapid adoption of Christianity in Polynesia led to the obsolescence and destruction of many types of objects now known only through the records of early explorers. The conception of Polynesian art that is gained from extant objects is therefore incomplete and must be corrected and amplified through the study of early writings and drawings. These make it clear that large-scale works were common and that Polynesian imagery was at times as dynamic and creative as Melanesian.