Ancestor figure

Description

Ancestor figure in hard dark wood, with hands to sides, with eyes of obsidian and bird bone, and glyphs carved on top of head in form of three bearded faces with streaming hair: Oceania, Polynesia, Rapa Nui (Easter Island), late 19th to early 20th century

Museum reference

A.1954.100

Collection

Oceania

Object name

Ancestor figure

Production information

Rapa Nui, Polynesia

Date

Late 19th - early 20th century

Materials

Wood, Obsidian, Bird bone

Physical description

Hard dark wood; eyes of obsidian and bird bone

Associations

Beasley Collection

Exhibitions

• Treasured: Wonderful Things, Amazing Stories (14 Nov 2008 - 01 Jan 2011)
  National Museum of Scotland

• Gauguin and Polynesia: South Pacific Encounters (14 Aug 2009 - 21 Feb 2010)
  Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek
  Seattle Art Museum

• Pacific Encounters: Art and Divinity in Polynesia 1760 - 1860 (21 May 2006 - 14 Sep 2008)
  Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts
  Musée du Quai Branly