ABSTRACT
‘Art’, in the context of the Pacific, is a multi-stranded and complex term, replete with much scholarly literature over a variety of disciplines. The literature on both ‘Pacific Art’ and ‘portable art’ is far too vast and nuanced to engage with in any detail here. Nevertheless, some deconstruction of both of these terms is required so that we are clear(er) as to exactly what we are engaging with in regards to ‘portable art in the Pacific’. It is only with a consideration of this in hand that we can assess if, and how, the discipline of archaeology may make a contribution.
