RARE EASTER ISLAND BIRDMAN MAKE-MAKE WOOD CARVING - NO RESERVE

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RARE EASTER ISLAND BIRDMAN MAKE-MAKE WOOD CARVING - NO RESERVE:
$257.00

RARE Easter ISLAND BIRDMAN MAKE-MAKE WOOD CARVING - !

1 of 2 Easter Island artifacts listed - Great carving style! Purchased on island in 1961.

A skillful wood carving of the Easter Island birdman deity known as Make-Make, one of the most recognizable of Easter Island motifs. Purchased in 1961.
Measurements:15” x 8”. Weighs 3lbs, 12.6 oz.
Condition: One minor natural hairline in beak mentioned only for the sake of accuracy. Condition is as viewed. If you have any questions or would like to see further photos, please contact us and we would be happy to oblige you.
A beautiful piece for the collector of tribal and Pacific Rim art!

About the Birdman Motif & Cult of Orongo:
One of the most famous motifs on Easter Island is that of the Birdman, a therianthropic figure, half man and half bird, connected to cult events at the sacred site of Orongo.
The birdman cult festivities were held at one of the most dramatic locations on Easter Island, Orongo, on a narrow ridge between a 1,000 foot drop into the ocean on one side and a deep crater on the other.The most sacred area at Orongo is called Mata Ngarau, where priests chanted and prayed for success in the annual egg hunt.
The purpose of the birdman contest was to obtain the first egg of the season from the offshore islet Motu Nui. Contestants descended the sheer cliffs of Orongo and swam to Motu Nui where they awaited the coming of the birds. Having procured an egg, the contestant swam back and presented it to his sponsor, who then was declared birdman for that year, an important status position.The contestant was awarded the title \"tangata-manu\" and was entitled to gifts of food and other tributes, and went into seclusion for a year in a special ceremonial house. The Birdman cult was suppressed by Christian missionaries in the 1860s. The origin of the cult and the time thereof are uncertain, as it is unknown whether the cult replaced the preceding Moai-based religion or had co-existed with it.
-Information from Bradshawfoundation.com, Wikipedia

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