Basalt statue from Easter Island / Rapa Nui in Chile, shown in The British Museum in London

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This basalt statue is known as Hoa Hakananai'a (probably 'stolen or hidden friend'). It comes from Easter Island / Rapa Nui in Chile and was made around 1400. This statue, representing an ancestral figure, was possibly displayed in the open air. It was later moved into a stone house at Orongo, the centre of the birdman cult. There are low relief designs carved on its back which are associated with this cult.

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Size: 3349px × 5073px
Location: The British Museum, London
Photo credit: © Bruce McGowan / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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