Gallery

Lidded Bowl

Artist: 'Enana (Marquesan) People
Date: Late 18th/Early 19th century

Very smooth wood carving of a functional bowl for the Marquesans.
That little face on the end of the bowl is a very distinctive feature too.
Maybe it was meant as a signature or mark of the Marquesans.


Porpoise-Tooth Crown

Artist: Marquesan People
Date: 19th century

This crown is made of real porpoise teeth (hence the generic name of this piece), glass trade beads, and fiber. The royal blue colors against the brown fiber and pale yellow of the teeth makes the crown more powerful and majestic.



Ear Ornaments


Artist: Marquesan People
Date: 19th century

Supposedly, these two were made from Whale Ivory.  And the sizes of these are 2 3/4 inches in length, which means very skilled craftsmanship on the super small human figures. 



Fan

Artist: Marquesan People
Date: 19th century

The materials that the fan is derived from are wood, bone, and fiber. Marquesans tend to mark their items with human renditions of their people or with tattoos, and in this case of the fan, the bone handle has the tattoo markings. Also, the circular weaving of the fibers is impressive as well. 



Canoe Prow Ornament

Artist: Marquesan People
Date: 19th century

I don't see this wooden figure as part of an immediate function in a day of a Marquesan person, but perhaps it was more for the preservation or record of their culture. 



Pipe


Artist: Marquesan People
Date: Mid/Late 19th century

This wooden carving is very different from the Marquesan style of their human figures and their carvings in general. First off, the head has a bigger proportion in comparison to the Lidded Bowl and Canoe Prow Ornament. Secondly, the eyes and mouth aren't as exaggerated as the Ornament, Ivi Po'o. The markings aren't of a typical Marquesan tattoo.



Tobacco Container

Artist: Marquesan People
Date: Mid/Late 19th century

This is actually made out of a coconut shell--another unique material for the Marquesans to utilize. The cravings on this container has the tattoo patterns and it looks like it also has a human figure in the top half of the container. I can immediately distinguish the eyes, hands, and oddly-shapened body.



War Club

Artist: Marquesan People
Date: Early 19th Century

Carved from wood, this weapon is almost 5 feet long. The blunt part of the club looks human with those round, beady little eyes. The markings beneath the square cheeks are tiny yet dense with the lined carvings probably to resemble the Marquesan tattoos.


Ornament, Ivi Po'o

Artist: Marquesan People
Date: Unknown

This is a closeup image of an almost 2 inches in height, bone figure. The Marquesans have a knack for small carvings. I really like the exaggerated human features of the eyes, eyebrows, nose, mouth, and hands that may or may not be hands.


Figure, Tiki

Artist: Marquesan People
Date: Unknown

This 6-inch figure is made from carved basalt--solidified lava. I'd like to know how they got ahold of solidified lava and that they survived to make an image of themselves out of it. The given description by Indiana University is that this figure is used for ensure "healing or successful ventures." So maybe the Marquesans saw the potential strength in the medium.



Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)