new stone pieces and wood Tangaroa - Tiki Carving

P Paipo Member Aotearoa / NZ Joined: Jun 22, 2006 Posts: 1886	P Paipo Posted posted on Sat, Sep 8, 2007 2:06 PM It's a piece of obsidian, which is a volcanic glass. Looks like it may have had a bit of tumble in the sea, as naturally occurring pieces usually have razor sharp edges - hence their use as mataa or spearheads. It was also used for the pupils in the eyes of the moai kavakava, and I think on the big guys too? I collected and carved a lot of NZ obsidian in my brief stint as a "commercial lapidary" and it looks very similar to our equivalent. My advice? Don't carve it- it's a treasure in its own right. An actual piece of Rapa Nui! Wish I had one! It can be a pretty difficult medium too - it's chippy and hard to get a good finish on. If for any reason you decide one day to make something from it, buy yourself some other obsidian and have a play so you know what you're dealing with. Wear protection (eyes) - this stuff is lethal!

It's a piece of obsidian, which is a volcanic glass. Looks like it may have had a bit of tumble in the sea, as naturally occurring pieces usually have razor sharp edges - hence their use as mataa or spearheads. It was also used for the pupils in the eyes of the moai kavakava, and I think on the big guys too? I collected and carved a lot of NZ obsidian in my brief stint as a "commercial lapidary" and it looks very similar to our equivalent.
My advice? Don't carve it- it's a treasure in its own right. An actual piece of Rapa Nui! Wish I had one!
It can be a pretty difficult medium too - it's chippy and hard to get a good finish on. If for any reason you decide one day to make something from it, buy yourself some other obsidian and have a play so you know what you're dealing with. Wear protection (eyes) - this stuff is lethal!

Post #331220 by Paipo on Sat, Sep 8, 2007 2:06 PM