Ritual object from Easter Island. The male spirit being is called "mo'ai kavakava", the Polynesian word for ribs that are particularly prominent. These figures have a very long tradition, are used for ancestor worship or are interpreted as protective spirits, size 35 cm. The eyes are made from the vertebrae of a fish with pupils made from obsidian fragments. They always have individual markings on the skull, for example a fish or bird. Here the totem animal (which is said to have supernatural powers) is a stylized turtle, see also separate excerpt. I know of a similar piece from the Museum of Five Continents. [hint: this is an automatic translation from German]   |   Category: Kultgegenstände   |   Material: Holz   |   Country of origin: Valparaiso Region, Chile | Similar pieces