Female figure (’otua fefine) representing the deity Hikule’o

18th–early 19th century

Not on view

Returned to lender

This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.

This wood figure may have been a vehicle through which the for-midable deity Hikule’o manifested herself in the physical realm. The balance and restraint of the figure’s compact posture, artic-ulated through the angular geometry of her breasts, legs, and buttocks, belie her tremendous vigor. Said to guard the entrance to Pulotu, the watery, dark realm of the ancestors, Hikule’o held a ritual role as mediator and was associated with the Tu’i Tonga, the earliest line of ruling chiefs, who were her earthly representatives.

Artwork Details

Overview

Exhibition History

References

Title: Female figure (’otua fefine) representing the deity Hikule’o
Date: 18th–early 19th century
Geography: Tonga, Ha’apai Islands
Medium: Wood
Dimensions: H. 14 9/16 × W. 5 7/8 × D. 4 13/16 in. (37 × 15 × 12.3 cm)
Classification: Wood-Sculpture
Credit Line: Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago
Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing