Untitled Document

TIKI GALLERY
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Tiki #141

"The Bird Dance"
Working Title
"Bi Bi Bi Bird Bird Bird Bi Bi bi Bird is the Word"

5 ft.

March. '08
Debut "Surf Beat Show"

Light Gallery, Costa Mesa, CA

This original sculpture carved in Feb.-March 2008
was a commission that brought forth a long awaited design.
"The Bird Dance" - is a tiki that celebrates a 'life' or a 'Dance' with Birds.

Birds were the ETs of isolated island cultures. AKA gods that came and went to unknown places at will.

On Easter Island, after the devastation of the natural resources, The BirdMan Cult dominated the psyche. Some speculate that the bird was exalted not only for it’s ability to come and go at will, but also as a single renewable protein source other then fish. The first ’egg’ of the returning sooty terns was

found off the cost on the islet Motu Nui. The person who
found the egg, or the War Chief of lucky person, became
a Man-god for one year. The ‘Bird-Man’ image
is found on the cliffs of Rano Kao,
overlooking the sacred islets.
The “BirdMan” found his way into the 14,021 glyphs

scribed into the Kohau Rongo Rongo tables that hold unknown stories and ceremonial chants.

The Bird also dominates the imagery and culture of the Maorie. The ‘Tiki’, or man, takes on bird like eyes, beak, and three or four digit fingers and toes. If this image had two horns or 'tuffs' on its eyebrows, then it could be considered an Owl. The Owl watched over the line of life and death.

The ‘Hei Tiki’ (infant man) resembles a bird embryo.