#robertmgerstman
LightNews LightNews
patrickkapty.bsky.social
Moai sculpture
Rapa Nui culture
circa 1250 CE
Easter Island
photo from 1959 by
Robert M Gerstman

#moai #easterisland #rapanuiculture #moai #sculpture #art #tribalart #oceanicart #handmade #carved #stone #circa1250CE #photo #dated1959 #robertmgerstman
The moai are monolithic human figures carved by the Rapa Nui people on Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui, in eastern Polynesia. They were carved between the years 1250 and 1500. There are nearly 1,000 moai on Easter Island, with almost half still at Rano Raraku, the main moai quarry. They were carved from solidified volcanic ash, also known as tuff. Moai are considered the living faces of deified ancestors, representing important individuals or chiefs. They face inland towards the villages as if to watch over the people, except for the seven Ahu Akivi moai, which face out to sea. Many of the moai were toppled during the late 18th and early 19th centuries due to internecine tribal wars, possibly exacerbated by European contact.
July 14, 2025 at 1:24 PM