Zemanek-Münster

Male figure "moai tangata" ·  Easter Islands, Rapanui · ID: 3050173

sold EUR 9,000
Provenance
Alexander Kubetz (1946-2023), Munich, Germany
Size
H: 57 cm
H: 22.4 inch

Description

wood, missing parts (feet), base

Of all the wooden sculptures of the Rapanui, the “moai tangata” bear the greatest resemblance to the world-famous giant stone sculptures.

The Polynesian noun “tangata” means man. “Moai tangata” are realistically carved male figures, usually with a boyish physique.

They may represent ancestors who actually lived, so they could be individual portraits. Thor Heyerdahl suggested that, unlike the ghostly “moai kavakava” and the “moai papa” associated with the Earth Mother, the figures represent humanity as a whole.


The object Male figure “moai tangata” with the object ID 3050173 was part of the auction 101st Auction on November 11, 2023. The object with the lot number 67 achieved a sales price of EUR 9,000 with an asking price of EUR 7,000.

You can find more Figures and other popular object types on our related topic pages. You may also be interested in our page on Oceanian art.


Comparing literature

Barthel, Thomas S., 1500 Jahre Kultur der Osterinsel, Mainz 1989, p. 191 ff.


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