Rongorongo: Rapanui- Incised for Chanting Out
The ancient Easter Island glyphs carved on the handful of remaining wooden tablets share a mystical language. As rare as the incised wood planks, Rongorongo is one of a few independent languages in human history and yet to be deciphered.
hand-built, pit-fired ceramic, 10” x 10.5” x 7.5”
The Rongorongo shout out a once diverse and abundant life on the Pacific Island. The thriving Rapanui culture and its lush landscape fell to devastating deforestation. With restoration at work today, the island of Rapanui in all of its mystery leaves a clear and profound message.
The unique system of characters are incised in horizontal channels across organic shaped planks, read at the bottom row, left to right. Each line is reversed so one must turn the tablet 180º to chant to the next line. Inheriting the ancestral Rongorongo mobility, the sculptures invert freely into various poses.
Detail of Rongorongo glyphs.
hand-built, pit fired ceramic, 10” x 8.25” x 8.75”
The hand-built ceramic sculptures are dramatic white and those pit-fired are 100% uniquely painted by the unpredictable fumes and flame of the outdoor primitive firing. See slideshow of pit-fire workshop on the Classes page.
The sculpture also offers a model and perspective for large public works.
hand-built pit-fired ceramic, 13.25” x 8.5” x 8”
hand-built pit-fired ceramic, 12.25” x 9” x 11”
hand-built ceramic, 12.5” x 10.5” x 9.5”
hand-built ceramic, 15.5”h x 11”w x 7.5”
hand-built pit-fired ceramic, 11” x 11” x 7”
hand-built ceramic, 13.5” x 10” x 8.5”
hand-built ceramic, 13.5” x 10” x 8.5”
hand-built ceramic, 13.5” x 10” x 8.5”
hand-built pit-fired ceramic, 12” x 10” x 9.5”
hand-built pit-fired ceramic, 12” x 10” x 9.5”
hand-built ceramic, 16” x 9” x 7”
hand-built pit-fired ceramic, 10” x 8” x 5.75”
hand-built ceramic, 15.5” x 10.25” x 7”
hand-built ceramic, 15.5” x 10.25” x 7”
hand-built pit-fired ceramic, 10.75 x 12” x 7.25”
hand-built pit-fired ceramic, 10.5” x 11.5” x 6”
hand-built pit-fired ceramic, 10.5” x 11.5” x 6”