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Professor Hawker
ART327,
quantity of,” this word is used in the English language in multitude of expressions, for
instance; monopoly “one over many;” polyarchy; “ many heads of wealth and rank
painting of two and more colors.” All these vocabulary point out to the meaning of the
word “poly,” thus “Polynesia” simple points out to the two simple words “many
islands,” that geographically lie in both the tropical and subtropical areas on each side
of the equator. Besides location being the common denominator of these “many
activity; adequate rainfall; high rate of vegetation; tiny coral isles. These islands were
also known for its chiefdoms, that revolved around the belief the king and chiefs were
sacred. Also such societies flourished in the belief system of elaborate mythologies;
supernatural power, thus the creation and inheritance of “mana.” There was a good
as; canoes; house building; and carving. Other artistic efforts were shown in the forms
of; woven mats; netting; feather work; and painted bark cloth, also known as tapa.
One of the many fascinating islands to have caught the attention of many is the
Hawaii is known to others as the fiftieth state of America and one of the many
few states to have an identity of their own. Being a nation consisted of many
ancestors; Philippines; Chinese and Japanese blood lines, yet it still holds tight to the
culture that has made it a tourist destination hot spot. With the national symbols of
flower: hibiscus; bird: nene; tree: kukui; and a motto of: “Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka
The story of the establishment and birth of the people of the Hawaii is a
strange yet mystical tale told in chant and song. The story points to an island that has
no record of exact origin but only survives with the reputation of the source of the
ancestry, birth of the culture, and like Valhalla the place where the souls shall return to
once their time on the material world has passed and ended. They had named a few
islands commending the memory of the ancestors memories, one of which was the
island of Hawaii, that was named after the ancestral Polynesian homeland—Hawaiki.
Only little is known on this ancestral homeland. Hawaiki’s time and space was
established at a round the first millennium BCE in the archipelagos of Tonga and
Samoa, later after the arrival of Early Eastern Lapita peoples, between 1100 BCE and
1000BCE, of four to five centuries later the Polynesian ancestor hood’s culture was
born.
This culture, the Hawaiian culture, even though invading bloodlines have
entered into the lone island, remains strong to this date with; chants; songs; artwork
keeping the culture alive. In other words, the whole of Hawaii is an art form because
of its unique blend of many culture united under the belief system of brotherhood and
kinship, despite blood. Yet, before the artwork is to be studied and noted one should
always know the background and hidden agenda of the artwork, “for a painting is
worth a thousand words,” and not necessarily would any of those words used to
describe the art work to be true and “on-the-dot” correct, or “on-the-money,” thus a
complete understanding of the culture should be put into mind, as some artworks can
be quite ambiguous and vague, as how artworks should be. The history has been
mentioned as well as the geography, as they both give an idea on theme and material
used—nature. Sadly, this information alone is not adequately good enough to discuss
the artwork, as some of the art created focuses around worship and sometimes
Sculptures the Forgotten Art- 4
offerings, this of course evident because of two key points; the island of Hawaii was a
society that was centered around the chief; and it had a belief system that involved
many gods and goddesses. The later being of most crucial importance, as wherever a
society was raised under the principle of many divine beings the art work would then
An excerpt off the story of the origin, that of Hawaii and their gods and
goddesses, was found and placed without any changes to keep the magic between the
lines.
“In the beginning in Hawaiian mythology, Po was a vast, empty land, a dark abyss where only one life
form dwelled. This was the spirit of Keawe. A single light shown through the darkness of Po-a flame
In this chaotic vortex, Keawe evolved order. He opened his great calabash and flung the lid into the air.
As it unfolded, it became the huge canopy of blue sky. From his calabash, Keawe drew an orange disk,
Next Keawe manifested himself as Na Wahine, a female divinity considered his daughter. In addition,
he became Kane, his own son, also known as Eli or Eli-Eli, who was the male generative force of
creation. In the Kumulipo, the best known of the Hawaiian creation chants, the feats of Eli-Eli are
Na Wahine and Kane mated spiritually to produce a royal family, who became additional primary gods
worshipped by the Hawaiian people. In ancient chants and rituals, three sons: Ku, Lono, and Kanaloa,
along with Kane are the four major Hawaiian gods. Keawe made Kane the ruler of natural phenomena,
such as the earth, stones, fresh water. Most importantly, Ku as Kukailimoku was god of war, but he also
reigned over woodlands and crops, and in various forms was worshipped by craftsmen. Bird catchers
and feather workers appealed to Kuhuluhulumanu, fishermen to Ku'ula, sorcerers to Kukoae, for
example. Kanaloa was responsible for the southern Pacific Ocean and as such was god of seamen and
lord of fishermen. Lono, as lord of the sun and of wisdom, caused the earth to grow green. As a god of
medicine, he had a particular interest in keeping herbs and medicinal plants flourishing. Lono was the
god who presided over the makahiki season when war ceased and taxes were paid to the ali'i.
Sculptures the Forgotten Art- 5
Kane and Na Wahine also had daughters. Among them, Laka was the goddess of hula; Hina was the
mother of Maui who pulled the Hawaiian Islands from the ocean; and Kapo was the goddess of the
South Pacific and was largely worshipped on Maui. Among the major divinities was the goddess Papa,
queen of nature, and the man she married, called Wakea. In legend, Papa and Wakea's first child was
born deformed like a taro root. From the child's grave, the first taro plant grew to furnish sustenance to
the rest of the human race, which had its origins in this first couple.
The twelfth deity was Milu, lord of the spirit world and lord of Ka-pa'a-he'o, where souls who had
departed their sleeping or unconscious mortal body might end up if they were not pardoned by their
'aumakua (personal gods) during their wanderings. One of several entrances to the barren, arid land of
Milu was thought to be through a pit situated in the mouth of Waipi'o Valley on the Big Island.”
As it is plainly noted from this excerpt from the article entitled “In the
Beginning: Hawaiian gods,” by Betty Fullard-Leo. The role of these gods and deities
can be seen as each one had a purpose and a role, thus worshiping which god, and
why, would depend of profession. For example, farmers tended to worship Lono,
because of the god being considered a benign god, because of the insurance of
abundant crops from the generous god. Great chiefs would build a luakini (sacrificial)
heiau for the war god, Kukailimoku that would require a human life to be sacrificed.
“Major Deities
• Manua - supreme soverign of Po, the spirits of chiefs and priests live within him.
Celestial Deities
• Kaonohiokala, dead chiefs are brought to him in the eyeball of the sun
• Pele had five brothers and eight sisters who did her bidding, among them:
One would think that these gods, goddesses, deities would have perished
because of the Christian missionaries that landed in 1820, thus many temples (heiau)
were destroyed and their idols were pulled down, but stone images were left
untouched because of the fear, from some commoners, that neglecting the stone
images that represented the different gods would be the cause of unnatural disasters to
The gods in this case should have been left nameless and forgotten, but
because of; Mele (song) Oli (chant) and Hula (dance). These gods were kept alive
Sculptures the Forgotten Art- 8
alongside the story of their creation that made them famous and notorious to the
people of Hawaii.
As said earlier the type of materials used to make the art would revolve around
natural materials, such as; wood, stone, and plant. These many resources would result,
of course, into different types of art work, but what shall be concentrated will be the
aspect of an artwork that is known to be used directly with the religion but also
The Hawaiian word for sculpting is Ku’ikepa, which literal meaning is “pound
and slash.” This word is a reflection of Hawaiian thought that is so evident to the
portrait of “nothing is what it seems.” The literal meaning to the word used by the
mentioned in this definition is that of which is described in; Mele (song) and Oli
(chant), and experience that of which has been passed down from generation to
generation. The sculptures are quite similar to those produced in other Polynesian
islands, but Hawaiian sculpture still hold the essence that gives there sculpture its own
identity, and recognition amongst the whole collection of the “many island”
community.
In order to understand the process the significance of the sculptures two words
are to be introduced and noted; Tiki (ki’i) and Akua. Tiki is known in many parts of
the world, not only in Polynesia. It is defined as representational images, and tends to
be sculpted out of wood, while Akua is the spirit. These two coincide to bring the
strong symbolical meaning of the statue to life, for once the tiki is made and sculpted,
and then the akua is tied to the figure, and thus animating and activating the piece of
wood into a symbol of worship. This combination of the two, tiki and akua, are done
Sculptures the Forgotten Art- 9
through prayers and rituals. These rituals and prayers can also help deactivate the
sculpture and turn it into an ordinary piece of wood. It can also be deactivated
through; failure to perform, and by neglect, but on certain occasions there can be
exceptions. Such an exception would be if the item was able to absorb “mana,” super
and use. Even if the item had no akua to begin with, it would still be an object with
great power. Examples of such great power because of possession and use may be the
following;
Little stick figures about 12 inches tall, with strange, birdlike heads, decorate the rocks on the lonely
and windswept shores of Shipwreck Beach graveyard for many vessels. Their meaning is a mystery
lost in time. On the dark nights of the moon, ghosts of ancient warriors have been seen and heard along
the shoreline road, and sounds of wailing and babies crying haunt many areas of the coast.”
Sculptures the Forgotten Art- 10
“KUKANILOKO BIRTHSTONES
Birthplace of Chiefs
The sacred birthing stone of Hawaiian royalty. A large, brown lava rock with a sculptured area that
supported the mother in a semi-sitting position while she gave birth. Often women who come to this
site experience birthing pains identifying with the mothers of the past.”
Serge Kahili King in his article, “Pound and Slash; The Tradition of Hawaiian
agreement, was difficult, thus the best thing was to help distinguish between three
types of uses for the sculptures; Religious sculptures; Magical sculptures; and Secular
sculptures.
the heiau (the temple). Sadly, around 150 genuine pre-missionary pieces exist. These
(kahuna). Yet, at the same time these fearful figures had clear messages to be
projected to the people and worshipers; the outstanding headdress adorned by the
statues was a symbol of spiritual power, this of course differed from meaning from
one statue to another depending on representation. Whilst the open mouth and tongue
would show the power of a spoken work in chant or prayer offered to the spiritual
being. Finally, the exposed teeth helped symbolize the treacherous nature of the
power.
Lono: In ancient Hawaiian religion, LONO was a god of peace, sports, agriculture.
Associated with clouds, yet dwells in the water. He tends to be honored at the annual
abstract thinking.
Kanaloa: In
ancient
Hawaiian
religion,
sickness.
modern terms could be called "inner authority." The hair here is piled up high on the
Though the sculptures followed the same style, yet they were represented in
many ways to the point variety is noted within the heiau itself; from awesome;
terrifying; benign to the abstract. This is because Hawaiian religion was not a
“monolithic structure,” as explained in the religious context earlier, thus having its
own principle and faith resulting in its many form of art work.
as akua ka’ai. Ka’ai is the Hawaiian word that stands for “belt, sash and to bind.” The
reason the statue is called so is because of the nature of it for personal worship. These
statues tend to be in different sizes, because they would be fit to a pole, or would be
carved into a pole, between the heights of five inches to six feet, and because they are
associated with ka’ai, this could also simply put the tapa, or kapa, cloth in use. Tikis
wrapped in the Hawaiian cloth would also be called akua ka’ai, as ka’ai in this context
would be known as “protective spirit.” How these statues were used was by carrying
them around until a certain area of worship, protection or support would come into
view, and then these statues would be stuck in the ground, as they would have a
pointed end. Bigger ones would be left at home, as they would be tiresome to carry
around.
Sculptures the Forgotten Art- 14
is believed that pre-missionary Hawaiians would sculpt humanoid figures, and not
those of animal or plant forms, with or without hair attached. These statues can be
this group of statues. These statues are known for their well known Polynesian
“power posture,” in which the statue would e head held high, knees loosened, and
arms held at the each side curved. Sometimes some hair, bits of clothing would be
Such images were said to be used in practices such as voodoo and black
magic, also they were used to counter these spells and used for healing. Like the
religious tikis, these magical tikis too needed akua in order for it to be activated and
put to use, but the akua in this case would have to be a spirit of an ancestor with the
Aumakua Image
Sculptures the Forgotten Art- 15
The Aumakua image is known as a magical statue because of the fact it holds an
opening at the top in the head were some pairings or clippings such as nails or hair of
Another thing to help distinguish a magical statue from a religious one would
be the Ki'i Ka-lai Po-ha-ku, or otherwise known as Hawaiian petroglyphs. The priest
would utilize the stone carvings through the use of these symbols.
Mana (power) imparted to the sick in order to help restore vitality and
energy.
sincere emotions.
Secular sculptures are the third and final group identified by King. These
sculptures are for non-religious use and the fact they are more tied to objects of every
Sculptures the Forgotten Art- 16
day interaction, thus creating highly artistic works of art, yet functional as well.
Religious and magical tikis tend to hold the grave and solemn appearance of the
sculpting community in Hawaii but are balanced with the humor created from their
secular sculpture.
This food bowl is a perfect replica to that owned by King Kahekili of Maui.
The figures here represent the conquered chiefs and chiefesses. It is said that the
original was decorated with the teeth of those who had fallen by the king.
Sculptures the Forgotten Art- 17
Photo by B. Patnoi
The figures shown here on this ceremonial drum are said to be that of human
figures put to shame, through the use of the definition and odd position. These figures
maybe that of conquered chiefs of chiefess who have been conquered over. There are
seven humanoid figures and six base heads all expressed in the exaggerated form of
muscular definition that lack on the upper body, but is quite evident in the lower part.
Sculptures the Forgotten Art- 18
The necklace is made from human hair and sperm whale ivory. What is
significant of this piece of jewelry is the fact it holds no human figure, but that of
hook, which is still called an idol. Chiefs had the rights to wear such adornments. It is
unsure whether the word idol was derived from either the fact the figure was made of
sperm whale ivory, or for the fact it had the shape of the hook.
Sculptures the Forgotten Art- 19
These turtles are known famously amongst the Atooi (Kauai) women as they
tend to wear it in the fashion of rings or bracelet, without the addition of beads, but
rather fastened and tied to the finger, made either in wood or ivory, with the eyes
The beauty and terrifying fact of this exquisite bracelet is the material used;
thin turtle shell, bone and dog teeth. The heads are used as a decorative element; with
the composition of the eyes inlaid and face turned outwards. Every four bone plates
hold a pair of human faces spaced beautifully with the use of turtle shell.
Sculptures the Forgotten Art- 21
The material used in the making of this pendant has been identified with
sperm whale ivory, not much can be said on this pendant and its history is a mystery.
The necklace is made by 166 beads, 165 white and 1 blue, 83 on each side. As it is
evident one arm is missing, yet it is bent in the most peculiar angle; raised above the
head, palms facing front, with the fingers of the present hand are individually
expressed as triangular points. It can also be noted that the eyes are filled with wood
predicament—the squatting position; head leading, body following, and knees bent.
What also strikes this figure odd is the hole that lies in the back of the pendant.
Not much is known about it, but maybe like other magical statues this could have
been used as a healing tool, by placing hair clipping or nail pairings of the patient in
the necklace. If the pendant was to be detached from the necklace it would become a
free standing figure; yet more evidence of its possibility to be a magical statue.
These breath taking statues were all carved out of the physical ancient
technology of the Pre-missionary Hawaiian culture that was based on the blue stone.
The so called blue stone is none other than another word for very dense crystallized
basalt. This tool was highly polished with an extremely sharp edge strong enough to
cut through stone and bone, while the other end was fixed to a handle. Cutting stone
Sculptures the Forgotten Art- 23
of course is a difficult task, it is said the ancient Hawaiians found a way to soften the
stone to make their job easier—Kukui nut oil. This oil was used to soften the stone in
order to aid the basalt cut through and give the figures their basic shape.
Basalt Adze
After the arrival of the Protestant missionaries to the Island of Hawaii in 1820,
many statues and heiau were destroyed. Some of those that survived were left
untouched and forgotten. Statues left to sleep buried below forgotten by time and by
the people that once worshiped them so. Yet, not all of them were destroyed some
survived but through the hands of foreigners who came before the missionary arrived
on the island in the form of Captain Cook and his crew who took some of the artifacts
with them to show their homeland what mystery and great things existed in Hawaii,
such as; the pendants; amulets; turtle rings; and many others.
Board’s support, 1845-1863, many artworks during this period were received under
the titles and tags of “from the Sandwich Islands,” thus failing to mark island, place
Another turn of event was when the forgotten statues began to resurface at
around the time of 1885, with the resurfacing of one stone god. The story was that of
strange events, as the man who felt a strange power was commanded to give
instructions to his siblings and son; the son was told to catch three fishes; the brother
Sculptures the Forgotten Art- 24
to climb for coconuts; the sister to chew some awa. Then the man pointed to site
where all three were asked to dig in, a statue appeared. The man placed coconuts
around the neck, gave the fish as an offering, and poured the awa over the mouth.
After he had preformed his deeds he told the three young people the name of the idol
—Kane, and then after which he predicted his death. After three days he died. The
statue stands to this very day in Bishop Museum in O’ahu. The statue stands there as a
reminder of the power and the still existing mana that once were given by them to
their worshipers. The story and history of their glory and golden age may not have
been completely forgotten, but lie on silent tongue with their menacing sneer, daring
those to mock the once hidden gods and goddesses. Pele to this very day still stands in
her volcano ready to remind the people of the Aloha state, that she is forever active
and at watch, even though the statues of her kin lay sleep and at rest—Mana remains.
Sculptures the Forgotten Art- 25
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