Statue of A'a from Rurutu
The statue of A'a from Rurutu is a wooden sculpture of the god A'a that was made on the Pacific island of Rurutu in the Austral archipelago. In the early nineteenth century, the sculpture was given by the islanders to the London Missionary Society to mark their conversion to Christianity. Following this, it was brought back to England to be displayed, first in the museum of the LMS and then in the British Museum. The figure of A'a is famous as one of the finest surviving pieces of Polynesian sculpture, and in the twenty-first century the sculpture is, according to Julie Adams, curator of the Oceania collection at the British Museum "an international celebrity".
The A'a Idol from Rurutu in the British Museum
Portrait of Omai by Joshua Reynolds. According to one Rurutuan tradition, A'a was carved by Amaiterai, who has been identified with Omai, the second Pacific Islander known to visit Europe.
John Williams, who witnessed the presentation of the sculpture to the LMS, identified it as the god A'a.
Musée de Tahiti et des Îles
The Musée de Tahiti et des Îles, Tahitian Te Fare Manaha, is the national museum of French Polynesia, located in Puna'auia, Tahiti.
Musée de Tahiti et des Îles
Human image, tuff, Society Islands, Musée de Tahiti et des Îles
Portrait of Queen Pomare IV of Tahiti, Charles Giraud, 1851, Musée de Tahiti et des Îles
Displays at the museum, prior to renovation in 2017.
