Moai Kavakava

Moai kavakava, or “image with ribs, ” is the most common form of wooden sculpture on Rapa Nui. These gaunt male figures, with their protruding bones and skull-like heads, probably represent the spirits of the dead. Little is known about their original purpose, but it is likely that they were worn around the neck during certain festivals. The extended earlobes, typical of this type of sculpture, are shown with cylindrical ear ornaments representing the actual shark vertebra earplugs once worn by the island’s inhabitants.