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sculpture, figure, god image
Unknown
Museum of Ethnography
Stockholm, Sweden
God image/ To'o from Tahiti associated with the god 'Oro. It is made from tightly plaited coconut fibre cordage. Coconut fibre tassels with the remnants of feathers and some barkcloth are attached to the front. A small opening, perhaps representing a navel is also visible. It is unclear if this to'o has a wooden core. Late 1700s or early 1800s., Ur katalogen: Gudabild, "Oro", koniskt föremål, helt beklätt med fina flätor av kokosfiber och prytt med fjädrar, därav föga återstående.
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Details
- Title: sculpture, figure, god image
- Creator: Unknown
- Location Created: Tahiti, Franska Polynesien
- Physical Dimensions: 47.5 cm
- External Link: Link to source
- Text till utställningen Avian Allies: This is a to’o, a god image from Tahiti in the Society Islands. It most likely dates to the late 1700s or early 1800s. The apparent simplicity of this object belies its historical and ritual importance. It is made from finely plaited coconut fibre which has been worked into an elongated cylindrical form which tappers from top to bottom. Small coconut fibre bindings and tassels bearing traces of feathers of various colours and barkcloth have been attached, although the feathers have now degraded quite badly. A small perforation or opening is visible in the centre of the figure, perhaps representing a navel. Adrienne Kaeppler has convincingly argued that the finely plaited coconut fibre cords represent objectified prayers and that it is this, the entanglement of prayers within the coconut fibre that renders the object sacred. The addition of the feathers and barkcloth, both sacred materials, further indicate the sacredness and importance of the object. The association between feathers and important religious and political objects such as gods images and other featherwork, perhaps originated in the Central Polynesian belief that the founder god, Ta‘aroa, emerged from a shell, the pieces of which he used to create the world. A feathered deity, he shook off the red and yellow feathers that covered his body and, where they fell, trees and bushes grew. Historical sources state that to’o were closely associated with the god ‘Oro, the primary god and the god of war in Tahiti. To’o have been called god images and so they were intended to be the god during ceremonial occasions. They were used or carried only by ritual specialists or chiefs and ordinary people would have been forbidden to see or touch them. As such, these were potent and powerful objects associated with divinity and power. To’o were periodically renewed or reactivated during ceremonies called pa ‘iatua. During this time, god images were assembled together on the marae (a sacred enclosure), were laid out on white barkcloth and unwrapped and rewrapped as part of renewal ceremonies. New sacred materials such as feathers, human hair and coconut fibre were added to the to’o while older, less potent materials were removed. These removed materials were then presented as offerings to lesser gods.
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