Polynesian Society: Artifact 6

Tahitian Art: Fan and Club

      Tahitian art had two primary functions: to honor and communicate with the gods and spirits of Tahitian belief and as jewelry and décor for chiefs and other people of the upper class. Certain items were used to show ones rank, either as a chief, priest, or aristocrat.
     Tahitian's worshipped five main gods: 'Oro, Ta'aroa, Tane, Tu, and Ro'o. 'Oro was the supreme god and was represented in club-like sculptures, like the one pictured on the left. The decorative club consists of a block of wood being wrapped around numerous times in tightly woven coconut fiber. Features were shown on the to'o through the application of strands of fiber onto the surface. This object was mostly associated with warfare,  but was also used by the ariori, a semi-professional class of performing artists.
     The fly whisk on the right not only had a practical use, but also showed someone's importance. Being made out of whale ivory, a precious commodity, this showed that the fly whisk most likely belonged to a chief. The top of the whisk would have had coconut fibers or feathers attached.

Works Cited:
Information: Department of AAOA. "Tahiti." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. The Metropolitan
     Museum of Art, 2000. Web. 9 Sept. 2014.
Picture: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/tahi/hd_tahi.htm