The museum’s Oceanic collection includes works from the islands of the South Pacific, which are divided into three cultural areas: Melanesia, Polynesia and Micronesia. Oceania was one of the last areas to be explored by Europeans, who first encountered the islands in the 16th century. The importation of metal and other European materials, as well as the introduction of Western cultural traditions, have greatly influenced South Pacific art over the past two centuries. Oceanic art honors regional deities, nature spirits and ancestors. It also sometimes functions as an indicator of social status.