MAORI, New Zealand. - Lot 304

MAORI, New Zealand. Important hei-tiki depicting a crouching figure. The bent head rests on the left shoulder and the tongue is outstretched, accentuating the figure's expressive power. The rounded torso emphasizes the vigor of the body. Massive arms sweep down to the thighs, where three-fingered hands rest firmly on powerful legs. Large, round eyes, enhanced with red wax, lend a striking gaze. The stylized face is punctuated by two fine incisions, reinforcing the overall structure. Cloudy green Nefrite (kahurangi/kawakawa pounamu, Arahura), carved and polished, two biconical holes, red wax remains around the eyes. Height Height : 16.5 cm Width: 10 cm Provenance : - Former collection, Robert Percy Moore (1881-1948), (New Zealand photographer active in Australia and New Zealand, renowned for his panoramic views of Queensland, Sydney and Wellington from 1900-1930. His archives are now held by the National Library of New Zealand). - Former collection, Alex Arthur, Brussels - Former collection, Pierre Moss, Paris. Pounamu hei-tiki occupy a central place in Māori culture, handed down as taonga (ancestral treasures) and invested with a strong symbolic charge. Considered both as representations of ancestors and as fertility amulets associated with the goddess Hineteiwaiwa, they accompanied rituals (tangihanga) and affirmed the continuity of lineages. Fashioned from an old adze blade, the present example illustrates the technical ingenuity required for this rare, hard stone. It is distinguished by its proportions, the intensity of its expressiveness and the quality of its carving. Bibliography Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Pendant (hei-tiki) in nephrite and haliotis, dated XVIIIᵉ century, H. 10.9 cm, inv. M.71.73.156, former Phil Berg collection, for a very similar example.