Object Details
- Collector
- Maj. William J. Thomson
- Donor Name
- John C. Green
- Expedition
- Mohican Survey of Easter Island
- Vessel
- U.S.S. Mohican
- Human-like figure, traditional name: moai kavakava, possibly made of Toromiro wood. Figures of this type were traditionally religious, but were later made for trade. Oversized head and ears. Relief carving on top of head. White shell? and obsidian? inlaid eyes. Prominent eyebrows carved in relief. Protruding ribcage with carved chevron designs depicting ribs extending around to the back and connecting to the backbone, which is also carved in relief. Very long thin arms. Significant splitting of wood along grain on body. Two cm. wide area broken off front of scrotum, probably penis. Also area 2.2 cm. x 1.9 cm. broken off of chin. Later repair using wooden screw to re-attach head and neck. Collected by William Judah Thomson, Paymaster on the USS Mohican, while collecting other Easter Island material for the Smithsonian during U.S. naval expedition in 1886. See accession numbers 19025, 20078, 23098 and 20551 for other objects collected by Thomson.
- Record Last Modified
- 26 Dec 2021
- Specimen Count
- 1
- Culture
- Rapanui (Easter Islander)
- Accession Date
- 23 Mar 2004
- Collection Date
- 18 Dec 1886 to 31 Dec 1886
- Accession Number
- 2030331
- USNM Number
- E430952-0
- Object Type
- Figure
- Length - Object
- 66 cm
- Width - Object
- 11 cm
- Place
- Easter Island (Rapa Nui), Chile, Polynesia
- See more items in
- Anthropology
- NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
- Topic
- Ethnology
- Record ID
- nmnhanthropology_8939937
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/365895431-f29c-4a61-b0ec-fd0b0a84777a
