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To'o

human history
  • Other Name

    Deity (English)

    God Figure (English)

    Staff (English)

  • Description

    To'o. Staff, Deity or God Figure. A wooden carving in ra'au (wood), of deities back to back (sometimes referred to as 'janus' figures') at either end of a shaft. There is a matting of nape (coconut fibre) fitted to one side. This would likely have been tied on in the past but is now fully detached. The figures have protruding, angular brows and pointed, angular chins. Their arms appear crossed or folded with the elbows forming a point in a downwards direction.

    Their knees are bent at right angles which combine to effectively frame the belly or stomach as the 'seat of knowledge'.

  • Place
    [Rurutu]/Austral Islands/French Polynesia/Pacific
  • Accession Number
    1950.128
  • Accession Date
    04 Jul 1950
  • Other Id

    31490 (ethnology)

    425 (Oldman Collection)

  • Department

    Pacific

carving, 1950.128, 31490, 425, Photographed by Andrew Hales,… … Read more

Images and documents

Images

  • carving, 1950.128, 31490, 425, Photographed by Andrew Hales, digital, 15 Jan 2018, Cultural Permissions Apply
  • carving, 1950.128, 31490, 425, Photographed by Andrew Hales, digital, 15 Jan 2018, Cultural Permissions Apply
  • carving, 1950.128, 31490, 425, Photographed by Andrew Hales, digital, 15 Jan 2018, Cultural Permissions Apply
  • carving, 1950.128, 31490, 425, Photographed by Andrew Hales, digital, 15 Jan 2018, Cultural Permissions Apply
  • carving, 1950.128, 31490, 425, Photographed by Andrew Hales, digital, 15 Jan 2018, Cultural Permissions Apply
  • carving, 1950.128, 31490, 425, Photographed by Andrew Hales, digital, 15 Jan 2018, Cultural Permissions Apply
  • carving, 1950.128, 31490, 425, Photographed by Andrew Hales, digital, 15 Jan 2018, Cultural Permissions Apply
  • carving, 1950.128, 31490, 425, Photographed by Andrew Hales, digital, 15 Jan 2018, Cultural Permissions Apply
  • carving, 1950.128, 31490, 425, Photographed by Andrew Hales, digital, 15 Jan 2018, Cultural Permissions Apply
  • carving, 1950.128, 31490, 425, Photographed by Andrew Hales, digital, 15 Jan 2018, Cultural Permissions Apply
  • carving, 1950.128, 31490, 425, Photographed by Andrew Hales, digital, 15 Jan 2018, Cultural Permissions Apply
  • carving, 1950.128, 31490, 425, Photographed by Andrew Hales, digital, 15 Jan 2018, Cultural Permissions Apply
  • carving; 31490; 1950.128
  • carving; 31490; 1950.128
  • carving; 31490; 1950.128
  • carving; 31490; 1950.128
  • carving; 31490; 1950.128
  • carving; 31490; 1950.128
  • carving; 31490; 1950.128

Artefact

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