This work offers the reader a fresh look at the arts of Africa, Oceania, and Indonesia - works which have previously been labelled as "barbaric fetishes" and "idols" but which now provide inspiration for poets and painters around the world. The book is divided into three geographical areas: Africa, Oceania and Indonesia. Each section is broken down further into regions or countries, and these sub-divisions explore the history and cultural significance of the area's art. The title also includes unpublished documentary illustrations - including prints, photographs and drawings - of the art "in action", be it a photograph of a piece of jewellry adorning the neck of a Nok warrior or an engraving depicting a Maori war canoe being cast off into the Pacific.