Ritual image (to'o) representing the deity Oro 18th century Maohi people God images (to’o) were bound with a fiber “skin” to encourage deities to temporarily inhabit them. The act of binding was accompanied by the recitation of chants during which the fiber literally caught the chanted words, making them lasting and tangible. Loops of coconut cord on this to’o reference the body: eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. The navel, a portal to the sacred interior of the god image, is indicated by a small depression two-thirds of the way down the Ritual image (to'o) representing the deity Oro. Maohi
Ritual image (to'o) representing the deity Oro 18th century Maohi people God images (to’o) were bound with a fiber “skin” to encourage deities to temporarily inhabit them. The act of binding was accompanied by the recitation of chants during which the fiber literally caught the chanted words, making them lasting and tangible. Loops of coconut cord on this to’o reference the body: eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. The navel, a portal to the sacred interior of the god image, is indicated by a small depression two-thirds of the way down the Ritual image (to'o) representing the deity Oro. Maohi people. 18th century. Wood, coconut fiber, traces of feathers. Tahiti, Society Islands. Wood-Sculpture
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