ABSTRACT
The three regions of Arnhem Land in northern Australia Oenpelli, Yirrkalla, and Melville Island correspond to three small language groups called Kakadu, Dangu and Djangu, and Tunuvivi, respectively. Their territories in the subtropical coastal regions of Australia provided an abundance of flora for gathering. The art of the aboriginal peoples of Australia is little known outside Australia, and yet it constitutes an important chapter in the history of South Pacific art. The art from three regions of Arnhem Land will serve to introduce the reader to localized artistic developments within the northern region of Australia. Aboriginal peoples also made small and portable incised and painted wooden objects for both ceremonial and utilitarian purposes. In the riverine and delta regions of southwest Island New Guinea where the Asmat live, and in the largely swampy and grassy areas of the middle Sepik River where the Iatmul live, more permanent settlements developed.
