  Here is a beautiful tiki figure measuring 6 feet (180 cm), made out of solid Acacia Koa wood, stained monkey pod. Called PELE, collected in Hawaii prior to 1879. ORIGINAL: Musee de l'Homme, PARIS PROVENANCE: undetermined This is a beautiful piece of art! These Tiki was carved with great attention to details. Madam Pele, Queen of Fire She was the daughter of the Earth Goddess Haumea and dwells in the Kilauea volcano. This wild and fiery goddess is widely venerated in Hawaii and other parts of Polynesia. When eruptions threaten towns it is thought that Pele is angry. Her volcanoes are both destroyers and creators of the earth, since her flowing lava makes new land. Pele's husband, the Pig God Kamapua'a, is the inventor of agriculture. Notice the spouting "lava crest" of her comb headdress. [adapted from a 19th cent. carved wood image, Museum of Man, Paris] |
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