Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia
1820 to 1840
Wood
Height: 12 1/2 in.
31.8 cm
Provenance: Australia trade
Fans were carried by prominent individuals of both sexes in the Marquesas as marks of social status, especially at feasts and public gatherings. The woven blades were attached to dagger-like wooden handles known as keʻe, which became an important field for Marquesan carving by the early 19th century. Handles of this type often carried stacked tiki figures understood as deified ancestors or protective presences.
This handle carries multiple tiki figures arranged in pairs, shown back-to-back and stacked vertically. The carving follows the formal vocabulary associated with early 19th-century Marquesan keʻe production, with defined eyes, brow ridges, and compact body proportions. An unusual lizard image appears at the base, distinguishing this example from more standard tiki-only compositions.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia
1820 to 1840
Wood
Height: 12 1/2 in.
31.8 cm
Provenance: Australia trade
Fans were carried by prominent individuals of both sexes in the Marquesas as marks of social status, especially at feasts and public gatherings. The woven blades were attached to dagger-like wooden handles known as keʻe, which became an important field for Marquesan carving by the early 19th century. Handles of this type often carried stacked tiki figures understood as deified ancestors or protective presences.
This handle carries multiple tiki figures arranged in pairs, shown back-to-back and stacked vertically. The carving follows the formal vocabulary associated with early 19th-century Marquesan keʻe production, with defined eyes, brow ridges, and compact body proportions. An unusual lizard image appears at the base, distinguishing this example from more standard tiki-only compositions.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
