Gaua Island, Banks Islands Group, Northern Vanuatu
18th century or earlier
Volcanic basalt
Height: 27 3/4 in / 70.5 cm; Weight: 64 lb / 29 kg
Field collected in the 1960s by Pierre Langlois; Nicolai Michoutouchkine, Nouméa, New Caledonia
An early stone figure from Gaua Island in the Banks Islands Group of Northern Vanuatu, carved from dense volcanic basalt. Stone figures and bowls from Gaua have long been discussed in ethnographic literature, as later local communities reportedly had limited knowledge of the people who produced them. This example likely represents Qat, the creator figure associated with the region’s mythic tradition.
The sculpture was made by a slow pecking technique, using stone tools to shape the basalt into rounded, restrained forms. Its weight, material, and weathered surface connect it to the archaic stone tradition of Gaua Island and the ancient sites around Lake Letas. The field-collection history through Pierre Langlois and Nicolai Michoutouchkine adds notable collecting context.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Gaua Island, Banks Islands Group, Northern Vanuatu
18th century or earlier
Volcanic basalt
Height: 27 3/4 in / 70.5 cm; Weight: 64 lb / 29 kg
Field collected in the 1960s by Pierre Langlois; Nicolai Michoutouchkine, Nouméa, New Caledonia
An early stone figure from Gaua Island in the Banks Islands Group of Northern Vanuatu, carved from dense volcanic basalt. Stone figures and bowls from Gaua have long been discussed in ethnographic literature, as later local communities reportedly had limited knowledge of the people who produced them. This example likely represents Qat, the creator figure associated with the region’s mythic tradition.
The sculpture was made by a slow pecking technique, using stone tools to shape the basalt into rounded, restrained forms. Its weight, material, and weathered surface connect it to the archaic stone tradition of Gaua Island and the ancient sites around Lake Letas. The field-collection history through Pierre Langlois and Nicolai Michoutouchkine adds notable collecting context.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
