Title: | Mo'o in the Maua |
Size: | 29" x 14" |
Medium: | Wood |
SOLD |
Mo’o in the Maua
This sculpture of a Mo’o (supernatural lizard, pronounced mo-oh in the Hawaiian language) is done in rare Maua wood (Xylosma Hawaiiensis, var. Hillebrandii) that features many knobs and deformations on its surface. This is a common aspect of Maua that lends itself to the natural wood of the tree being a kind of freeform sculpture before any human hands have touched it. The wood itself is quite flashy and chatoyant when carved which adds to the already exquisite flair it possesses. The crest atop the Mo’o is a characteristic reminder of Hawaiian feathered helmets, or mahiole, which were only worn by chiefs of distinction.