Moai Stone Statues

The Polynesians inhabiting Rapa Nui carved hundreds of Moai, apparently to represent their chiefs and powerful deceased ancestors. They placed them on their stone platforms, ahu, all around the island. In most cases they faced inland, but one ahu at Ahu Akivi has seven Moai facing the ocean.

The Seven Raised Moai of Ahu Akivi
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The incredible statues still stood gazing across their lands when Europeans first visited the island. However, in the ensuing years almost all were knocked down. Most Moai were toppled forwards to have their faces hidden, and often fell in a way that broke their necks. Oral histories indicate that this occurred during deadly conflict among the islanders rather than by some natural cause.

Moai statues are monolithic human figures carved from rock. They have overly large heads, generally about three-fifths the size of their bodies. Taken together with the fact that many were buried up to their shoulders, for some time European discoverers thought that they were only heads, perhaps similar to the Olmec colossal heads found in Mesoamerica.

Map of Easter Island showing locations of various ahu
from Wikimedia Commons.

The Moai statues were sculpted on Easter Island, known as Rapa Nui by the Polynesians inhabiting the island, between 1250 and 1500 CE. The stone used for the Moai is from a quarry at the extinct volcano Rano Raraku, but hundreds were transported from there and set on stone platforms called ahu around the perimeter of the island.

Volcano Rano Raraku, Southern Slope, Birthplace of Countless Moai on Easter Island
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The Moai statues face inland, as if surveying their territory. With their startling coral eyes and black obsidian or red scoria pupils, wearing their large red Pukao or "crowns" on their huge heads they appear to be powerful chieftains of all the land they regard with great intensity.

Ahu Tongariki, Site Where 15 Moai Sculptures are Placed on a Single Platform or Ahu
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The Moai statues are really large, from 10 to 40 feet in height and weighing as much as 50 or 60 tons. Quite how their creators moved them from the quarry is a matter of continued debate.

Polynesian Girl with Huge Moai
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Some archaeologists have attempted to demonstrate how the moai could have been placed on wooden frames and then pulled to their final destinations. Legend has it that the statues walked to their appointed spots. Engineers, scientists and innovators have made creative efforts to construct mechanisms that would allow such enormous statues to "walk," using smaller statues weighing 5 to 10 tons, with varying success.

How to Make Walking Moai
Czech who made Moai statues walk returns to Easter Island

Although no standing Moai remained by the mid nineteenth century, many have now been re-erected on their ahus on the island; some have been taken to museums. Much restoration has taken place and is continuing.

Since the Moai were toppled, many had lost their red "crowns" or Pukao and this has been part of the restoration project. Also, of particular note is the restoration of their eyes after it was discovered that their deep elliptical eye sockets were designed to hold coral eyes with either black obsidian or red scoria pupils.

Close-up of Stone Abstract, Moai Artwork, Tapati Festival, Rapa Nui
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With their restored crowns and eyes on their oversized heads featuring their heavy brows, elongated noses and ears and special thin pouting lips, standing again on their platforms, the Moai statues are a truly amazing sight. We can only imagine how hard their creators worked not only to carve them but also to bring them to all the different locations around the island. It seems they must have had a noble purpose, watching like guardians of the land perhaps.

As mysterious and wonderful as the Moai are, they have often inspired artists. Some have taken artistic photographs of actual Moai on Easter Island, with magnificent results.

Ancient Moai at Ahu Ko Te Riku at Sunset, Easter Island, Valparaiso
by Jan Stromme
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Moai
by Jochen Schlenker
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Moai Silhouette, Ahu Tongariki
by Keren Su
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Close-up of Stone Abstract, Moai Artwork, Tapati Festival, Rapa Nui
by Bill Bachmann
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For other artists, the Moai serve as the inspiration for their own creativity.

Silent Witnesses by Cydonian at zazzle.com

Some artists have taken the notion of the Moai as "watchers," although what they are watching for is something only they know.

Moai on the Small Planet by Misticmedia at zazzle.com


Only they have the answers by Chris Wagner at zazzle.com

For many artists, the mere shape of the Moai, their strange and fascinating form inspiring their designs.

Rapa-Nui - Moai by lonvig at zazzle.com


Rapa-Nui - Legends by lonvig at zazzle.com

Copyright © Jennifer P. Tanabe, 2009.
This page was created on June 4, 2009 and is the property of jptanabe (Jennifer P. Tanabe) and Squidoo, LLC. Please do not copy my material!