POLYNESIA - Marquesas Islands. - Lot 283

POLYNESIA - Marquesas Islands. Large Tiki figure carved from volcanic stone, depicting an anthropomorphic figure; the facial features are detailed, the arms are held close to the body; mounted on a pedestal. 80 x 18 x 20 cm Provenance: Private collection in Paris. Notes: Carved from volcanic stone, tikis play an essential role in traditional Polynesian societies. These anthropomorphic figures most often embody deified ancestors, prestigious chiefs, or protective entities, whose mana—spiritual strength and sacred power—they embody. Erected near maraes, ceremonial sites, or community spaces, they served as mediators between the world of the living and that of the ancestors, watching over people, the land, and rituals. Their iconography, characterized by faces with powerful, stylized features, reflects a sculptural tradition of great mastery, in which every detail contributes to the expression of their spiritual authority. Crack in the stone