Moai on platform (ahu)
Rapa Nui (Easter Island). c. 1100-1600 C.E. Volcanic tuff figures on basalt base
Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island (a name given to it by Europeans), is located in the southeast Pacific and is famous for its approximately 1,000 carvings of moai, human-faced statues.
Easter Island is called Rapa Nui by the people who live here.
Moai means “statue”
Ahu means “Platform”
Original Location
Shown on a stone platform
Orongo - Stone village on Rapa Nui that is used for ritualistic purposes.
by the ocean
As the environment of the island changed the religion also shifted which led to the end of the creation of the Moai
From 1600 C.E, statues began to be torn down
Last ones were torn down in 1838
Created by one stone carver or groups of carvers (those who made them were masters in art of making the moai)
When the statues were finished they were taken down to the coast by groups of tens to hundreds of people.
Used ropes and levers to move them
Medium; technique; size
Made from chiseled stone
14 are made from basalt while the rest are made from volcanic tuff
About 887 moai on Easter Island
Originally painted with red and white designs
Height of the statues range from 8 to 70ft (most around 13ft tall)
The older statues are larger and more detailed/complex
Treatment of human body:
The majority of statues share features such as:
Heavy eyebrow ridge
Elongated ears
Oval nostrils
Emphasized clavicle
Protruding nipples
Thin arms that lie against the body
Barely any hands
Thin lips in a downward curve - stern expression
The eyes originally were filled with red stone and coral
Composition:
Made on Easter Island
carved stone
Some statues have carvings on the back made at a later date
Space:
Made on platforms (ahu)
All the statues are turned with their back to the sea
outside around the island, lots of open space around, on grassy hills by the coast
Color and lighting:
Pigment for accents on select statues
always in natural light - outdoor setting
Carvings on the back of some statues that are believed to have been made at a later date
Carvings reference the easter island birdman cult which developed after 1400 C.E.
Themes
Sacred spaces
Ancestors
Rituals
Religion
The Moai represent the human spirit
Used to honor and represent the ancestors of the people.
The sculpture was probably made by a high status individual with a significant skill in carving
The rock they are made out of is hard and difficult to work with
Carved stone statues - everywhere
Representing ancestors - spirituality
Referenced in popular culture - movies (Night at the Museum)
