Hand-carved ritual object from Easter Island, which belongs to Chile. The male spirit is referred to as "mo'ai kavakava," the Polynesian word for ribs that are prominent. These figures have a very long tradition, serve to venerate ancestors or are interpreted as guardian spirits, size 35 cm. The eyes are made of fish vertebrae with pupils made of obsidian shards. They always have individual markings on their skulls, for example one fish or bird. Here the totem animal (which is said to have supernatural powers) is a stylized turtle, see also its own excerpt. I know a comparable piece from the Five Continents Museum. [hint: this is an automatic translation from German]   |   Category: Kultgegenstände   |   Material: Holz   |   Country of origin: Valparaiso Region, Chile | Similar pieces