Moai ears - Collecting Tiki

T tikibars Tiki Socialite Aku Hall, Chicago Joined: Apr 11, 2002 Posts: 2034	T tikibars Posted posted on Sun, Dec 19, 2004 8:27 PM This is definitley a Rapa Nui souvenir moai carving. But I doubt it is by Tuki. Tuki's son Jorje and a guy named Luis are the two main carvers on the island right now, and their work is of finer quality than the one you got. But there are at least a dozen other people carving specifically for the tourist trade, and yours is, I am positive, by one of those carvers. If it is 2 feet tall you got a great bargain, standard prices on this island (as of last month) would place this guy at about US$150 to $200. One by Jorje or Luis of that size would be $300 to $400. Luis was telling me how a lot of the souvenir shop carvings were being done in other countries altogether, and shipped to Rapa Nui for sale to the touristas, passsed off as local carvings. This bummed him out, big time, to put it mildly. So it is possible your moai was carved elsewhere.

This is definitley a Rapa Nui souvenir moai carving. But I doubt it is by Tuki.

Tuki's son Jorje and a guy named Luis are the two main carvers on the island right now, and their work is of finer quality than the one you got.

But there are at least a dozen other people carving specifically for the tourist trade, and yours is, I am positive, by one of those carvers.

If it is 2 feet tall you got a great bargain, standard prices on this island (as of last month) would place this guy at about US$150 to $200. One by Jorje or Luis of that size would be $300 to $400.

Luis was telling me how a lot of the souvenir shop carvings were being done in other countries altogether, and shipped to Rapa Nui for sale to the touristas, passsed off as local carvings. This bummed him out, big time, to put it mildly. So it is possible your moai was carved elsewhere.

Post #131877 by tikibars on Sun, Dec 19, 2004 8:27 PM