Hand carved tourist piece beautifully executed with vibrant paints. While decorative in nature, it reflects the imagery rooted in Polynesian culture, a vast cultural sphere spanning Hawai‘i, Samoa, Tonga, Tahiti, and as far as the Māori of New Zealand. In Polynesian tradition, masks and tiki figures symbolized deities, ancestors, and protective spirits, often linked to concepts of mana (spiritual power) and tapu (sacredness). Though this example was produced for visitors rather than ritual use, it draws from the same artistic vocabulary that unites Polynesian peoples across the Pacific.
