Easter Island Visitor’s Guide - Page 13 — Wood Carvings and Island Souvenirs

The local artisans make many kinds of carved pieces, some in stone, but mostly in wood. These range from tiny "moai" statues, to large wood bowls, to rongorongo replicas, to extraordinary works of art that are very costly.

The stone used is local, a type of pumice that carves fairly easily. The wood varies from locally grown types to imported woods from Tahiti. The type of wood will have a bearing on price (mako'i is the most expensive). The truly fine carvings are expensive and are identifiable by their lovely "satin-like" finish and careful detailing. Many have inlaid eyes made from shark vertebrae which are further inlaid with pupils of obsidian.

While some of the prices may seem outrageous, keep in mind that a good carver may spend many weeks on a single piece, and that may be the only income for his family during that time. A fine carving takes time, and the finishing process is very laborious.

There are so many types of figures that we can only mention a few. For those seriously interested, consult Ingrained Images: Wood Carvings from Easter Island by Joan Seaver Kurze. This is a colorful, fully illustrated study of the wood carving tradition of the island. It is available from the Easter Island Foundation. (See our Publications page.)

Most of the island carvers consult illustrated books showing the carvings collected early on by such explorers as Captain James Cook. These priceless items are now in major museums around the world, but by consulting the art books that have been published in modern times, Rapanui artists copy the old styles, sometimes with amazing accuracy. A few artists prefer to do more contemporary works. But what really determines what is carved is that which sells. Some types of figures are not made today simply because tourists are not interested in buying them.

What makes many of the design types so compelling is the way in which forms are combined: a lizard figure may have human and bird attributes, making it a sort of composite figure. Some human figures have a bird head and wings. Thus playfulness of form and "visual punning" are characteristics of the art.

Be aware that anything made from obsidian or copper is most likely imported from mainland Chile. The pareu come from Tahiti, as do many of the shells that are made into necklaces. Formerly, the shells all came from Rapa Nui, but the demand picked the rocks clean and now shells are imported.

Also, do not buy any genuine artifacts, such as spear points (mata'a) or chisels (toki), or fishhooks. It is illegal to remove these from the island and probably they are fakes anyway. Do not buy anything made of coral; this encourages those who take coral from the meager reef areas off the north coast.

Basic Easter Island Sculptured Forms

Moai Kavakava. A nude male standing figure with bent knees, believed to represent the spirit of the dead (aku aku). The faces have heavy brows, prominent nose, a goatee, and a pronounced grimace; skeletal-like ribs, and carefully delineated vertebrae. The earliest was collected in the 18th century.

Moai Pa'apa'a. A female standing figure, the body very flat in profile. The face resembles the moai kavakava face. Instead of two arms straight down as in the male figures, the pa'apa'a has one hand across her chest and the other down, toward her genitalia. These figures are thought to also represent aku aku spirits.

Moko. Moko means "lizard" in Rapanui. These "lizard men" have a lizard head and the tail of a bird, but with ribs, fingers, legs, and penis of a human. These are said to have been house spirits, and could have also been clubs. These amazing composite figures are based on the only "natural model" on the island: tiny geckos.

Tangata Manu. These figures have the head and wings of a frigate bird, on a humanoid body. The arms turn into the wings. They have human legs, feet and penis, and stand slightly bent forward with the knees bent. The beak can be nearly as long as the body.

Rei Miro. Ceremonial pectoral, worn about the neck as an emblem of status. The earliest one known was collected in 1868. These are fairly large curved forms, with heads or other decorative elements on each end.

Tahonga. This coconut shaped (or egg-shaped) object has divisions that appear to be inspired by the divisions on actual coconuts. Often these are topped with a small bird head, or two human heads. Status women were said to have worn these about the neck. The earliest documentation for this form is 1864.

Paoa and Ua. These are clubs, likely used in warfare or ceremony. The paoa is usually less than three feet tall, with a Janus face on the handle, while the ua can be longer. They often have inlaid eyes.

'Ao. A paddle shaped staff of honor was a symbol of authority. Paddle shaped on the bottom end, the top has a human face on each side, either painted or carved. The earliest 'ao collected dates from 1884.

Rapa. A rapa is a smaller sized 'ao. These were used during dances and performances at island feasts. Cook collected one in 1775. It has a human face on each side of the end, often with inlaid eyes.

Rongorongo tablets. Called kohau rongorongo, the small carved figures on pieces of wood were apparently used during chants and ceremonies as a memory aid. The tiny glyphs seem to represent various things and creatures in their environment: birds, fish, turtles, sun, plants, etc. A small elite group studied and used these treasured boards. However, the "rongorongo men" were eliminated or discouraged by missionaries before they could share their knowledge with the outsiders. Today, islanders make replicas of the few boards that remain in various museums around the world. Some of today's carvers put rongorongo designs on one side, and petroglyph designs on the back. These are not true replicas, but a modern adaptation that tourists seem to like.