Cook Islands art

Most of the original wood carvings were either spirited away by early European collectors or were burned in large numbers by missionary zealots.

Today, carving is no longer the major art form with the same spiritual and cultural emphasis given to it by the Maori in New Zealand.

However, there are continual efforts to interest young people in their heritage and some good work is being turned out under the guidance of older carvers.

Mangaia is the source of many fine adzes carved in a distinctive, idiosyncratic style with the so-called double-k design.

Mangaia also produces food pounders carved from the heavy calcite found in its extensive limestone caves.

At one end there is a schematized blade-shaped head and arms of the progenitive god with a succession of little figures rising from his body, alternatively full-face and in profile with penis erect.

But this elaborately carved sexual imagery had less importance for the Rarotongans than the feathers and pieces of shell representing the soul of the god and enclosed in yards of bark cloth wound around the center of the staff.

[4] Their function rests solely on the authority of John Williams, who figured one of them and referred to it thus: "An idol, of which the figure on the opposite side is a correct representation, was placed on the fore part of every fishing canoe; and when the natives were going on a fishing expedition, prior to setting off, they invariably presented offerings to the god, and invoked him to grant them success."

The tivaevae / tivaivai reflect the women's surroundings and usually employ designs of flowers, leaves, birds, fish, insects and animals.

36 of Nia's concrete casts are positioned throughout the terminal while Buchanan's 10 metre mural farewell's passengers as they are processed through customs and security.

[15] Mahiriki Tangaroa produced a series of paintings depicting pre-Christianity gods of the Cook Islands titled Kaveinga – Angels of the Ocean, presented by Bergman Gallery in Venice, Italy as part of European Cultural Centre: Personal Structures in 2022 coinciding Venice Biennale.