Tiki statue, Museum of Tahiti and the Islands

Tiki statue in tuff, 54cm tall, from the Butteaud collection, acquired in 1928, in the Musee de Tahiti et des Iles, or Te Fare Manaha, at Punaauia, on the island of Tahiti, in the Windward Islands, Society Islands, French Polynesia. Tuff is a compressed volcanic ash, which was carved and then rubbed with pumice to create a smooth surface. Tikis are protective statues representing Ti'i, a half-human half-god ancestor who is believed to be the first man. The Museum of Tahiti and the Islands was opened in 1974 and displays collections of nature and anthropology, habitations and artefacts, social and religious life and the history of French Polynesia. Picture by Manuel Cohen

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Ancestor Archipel Collectivite Collectivity Doutre-mer Fare Francaise Guardian Iles Manaha Oceania Polynesia Polynesian Polynesie Punaauia Republique Societe Tahiti Tahitian Tiki Totaiete Tuff Vent Volcanic Windward

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