Rapa Nui, Easter Island
Late 20th century
Hardwood, obsidian and shell-inlaid eyes
Height: 13 in.
33 cm
Provenance: Private collection, Santa Barbara, California
This hardwood figure follows the traditional Rapa Nui Moai Kava Kava sculptural type, with an elongated body, exposed ribs, pronounced cranium, and inlaid obsidian and shell eyes. The form is among the most recognized types of Easter Island carving, traditionally associated with ancestral spirits and ceremonial display. This example is a late 20th-century carving after the traditional form, and should be understood as contemporary Rapa Nui workshop production rather than an early historical example.
The carving is closely observed, with attention to the rib cage, facial structure, and narrow body proportions associated with the Moai Kava Kava idiom. Earlier appraisal and provenance information previously attached to the piece should not be treated as accurate for dating. Its value rests in its detailed execution and usefulness as a study example within the broader range of modern Rapa Nui carving.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Rapa Nui, Easter Island
Late 20th century
Hardwood, obsidian and shell-inlaid eyes
Height: 13 in.
33 cm
Provenance: Private collection, Santa Barbara, California
This hardwood figure follows the traditional Rapa Nui Moai Kava Kava sculptural type, with an elongated body, exposed ribs, pronounced cranium, and inlaid obsidian and shell eyes. The form is among the most recognized types of Easter Island carving, traditionally associated with ancestral spirits and ceremonial display. This example is a late 20th-century carving after the traditional form, and should be understood as contemporary Rapa Nui workshop production rather than an early historical example.
The carving is closely observed, with attention to the rib cage, facial structure, and narrow body proportions associated with the Moai Kava Kava idiom. Earlier appraisal and provenance information previously attached to the piece should not be treated as accurate for dating. Its value rests in its detailed execution and usefulness as a study example within the broader range of modern Rapa Nui carving.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
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