manuel cohen

Tiki Makii Tau'a Pepe, Iipona, Hiva Oa, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia

Tiki Makii Tau'a Pepe, carved in grey keetu or volcanic tuff, representing a woman lying on her stomach with outstretched arms and raised head with huge eyes and mouth, thought to be in the process of childbirth, at the Iipona archaeological site, near the village of Puamau, on the island of Hiva Oa, in the Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia. On the base of this sculpture are petroglyph reliefs of dogs, whose meaning is unclear. Tiki sculptures are usually carved in wood or stone and represent Ti’i, a half-human half-god ancestor who is believed to be the first man. Tiki often have a huge head, symbolising power, and big eyes symbolising knowledge. Tiki are respected and are often placed outside houses as protective statues. The Iipona site was a religious sanctuary or meae, built by the pre-European Marquesian civilisation, arranged over 2 large terraces with 5 monumental tikis. Picture by Manuel Cohen

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Filename: LC17_POLYNESIA_MC_051.jpg
Image Size: 4724x7087 / 9.1MB; www.manuelcohen.com; ancestor archaeological archaeology archeological archeology birth carved childbirth collectivite d'outre-mer de la Republique francaise color colour COM day expression exterior female French Polynesia French territory giving birth heritage history Hiva Hoa Hiva Oa Hiva-Oa Iipona image island keetu lying Makii Tau’a Pepe Marquesan Marquesan civilisation Marquesas Islands Marquesian Marquesian civilisation Marquises meae morning Oceania outdoors outside overseas collectivity Pacific island Pacific Ocean pain Polynesia Polynesie Polynesie Francaise pre-European civilisation protection Puamau religion religious sanctuary sculpture site statue stone straining ti'i tiki vertical volcanic tuff
Contained in galleries: Polynesia, Oceania

Tiki Makii Tau'a Pepe, carved in grey keetu or volcanic tuff, representing a woman lying on her stomach with outstretched arms and raised head with huge eyes and mouth, thought to be in the process of childbirth, at the Iipona archaeological site, near the village of Puamau, on the island of Hiva Oa, in the Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia. On the base of this sculpture are petroglyph reliefs of dogs, whose meaning is unclear. Tiki sculptures are usually carved in wood or stone and represent Ti’i, a half-human half-god ancestor who is believed to be the first man. Tiki often have a huge head, symbolising power, and big eyes symbolising knowledge. Tiki are respected and are often placed outside houses as protective statues. The Iipona site was a religious sanctuary or meae, built by the pre-European Marquesian civilisation, arranged over 2 large terraces with 5 monumental tikis. Picture by Manuel Cohen