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Male figure (tiki) representing the deity Rongo

Early 19th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 352
This Mangarevan male tiki is associated with the deity Rongo (Hawai’i: Lono). Piercing through the sky on the arc of a rainbow, Rongo is responsible for the rains that sustain the vital breadfruit crop. Carved in the fullness of youth, this wooden figure references the agricultural abundance that was sought through the ritual presentation of the first fruits of the season to the gods. These ceremonies accompanied the appearance on the horizon of the cluster of stars known as Matariki (Pleiades).

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Male figure (tiki) representing the deity Rongo
  • Date: Early 19th century
  • Geography: Mangareva, Gambier Islands
  • Culture: Mangarevan people
  • Medium: Wood
  • Dimensions: H. 38 3/4 in. × W. 10 in. × D. 8 1/4 in. (98.4 × 25.4 × 21 cm)
  • Classification: Wood-Sculpture
  • Credit Line:

    The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Bequest of Nelson A. Rockefeller, 1979

  • Object Number: 1979.206.1466
  • Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing

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1701. Male Figure, Part 1

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