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Rapa Nui (Easter Island)
Late 20th century
Hardwood, obsidian and shell-inlaid eyes
Height: 13 in. (33 cm)
Provenance: Private collection, Santa Barbara, CA
This hardwood Moai Kavakava ancestor figure follows the traditional Rapa Nui sculptural type, with an elongated emaciated body, exposed ribs, pronounced cranium, and carefully worked facial features with inlaid obsidian and shell eyes. The Moai Kavakava is among the most recognized forms of Easter Island carving, traditionally associated with ancestral spirits and carried or worn during ceremonial occasions. Historical examples were sometimes suspended from the body during festivals and other important gatherings, while others were reportedly stored wrapped in tapa cloth when not in use.
The distinctive skeletal treatment—particularly the pronounced rib cage and gaunt proportions—is characteristic of the traditional moai kavakava form. Comparable historic examples in major museum collections are carved in wood with inset obsidian and contrasting light-colored eye material.
This example is a late 20th-century carving after the traditional form, closely observed and skillfully executed.
Note: this piece was previously offered with a 2009 appraisal and provenance that should not be accepted as accurate. It is best understood as a contemporary Rapa Nui carving in the traditional Moai Ancestor idiom rather than a historical example, and is priced accordingly. The level of carving detail makes it a useful study piece for collectors assessing the range of Rapa Nui workshop production.
