View allAll Photos Tagged topknot
Blue Erigeron or Fleabane growing a topknot with petals growing directly from the centre of the flower. Actually, quite a few of them did that this year.
There is an interesting aside on this in that every part of a plant, petals, stamen, stem, leaf and root has identical genetic coding, yet each grows into something entirely different. The question is then, what informs it?
Rupert Sheldrake (Cambridge University) has done some interesting work on this in what he calls 'morphogenetic fields' where the information of Life lies in another plane of existence. Of course he has been marginalised for many years for his work as it does not conform with 'established' views and, despite his methods being extremely scientific he is still viewed as 'fringe'. There are some that would say - me included - that what he calls a morphogenetic field, could also be called spirit / consciousness..
A large solid pigeon with a unique waved crest on the back of the head. Almost entirely gray with darker wing feathers. Tail is dark gray with a broad pale band. Typically seen feeding on fruit high in rainforest canopy trees. Also, often observed flying in large flocks at high altitudes over other habitats – look for the banded tail in flight. (eBird)
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An Elvis wannabee with his pompadour. We saw these large pigeons several times, but always at the top of a tree and always completely oblivious to our presence.
Royal National Park, New South Wales, Australia. October 2022.
Eagle-Eye Tours - Eastern Australia.
"Macro Mondays" theme today: "Knots".
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allen Besuchern und Freunden meines Fotostreams ein herzliches Dankeschön für eure Kommentare und Kritiken, Einladungen und Favoriten.
all visitors and friends of my photostream, a heartfelt thank you for your comments and reviews, invitations and favorites
Ceremonial centers:
Easter Island has a series of ceremonial centers where I saw remains of the Rapa Nui culture and tradition. In those places I saw how the natives read the stars, some remains of religious rites and incredible archaeological samples that remain alive to this day.
I have been hearing this fellow calling from the underbrush for a week now. But had been unable to get a lens on him. He finally came in to one of the pinewood feeding stations briefly yesterday and I managed a few quick snaps. It was very blustery as evidenced by his ruffled feathers and topknot. Today his domain is covered by about three inches of heavy wet snow.
I haven't seen the female yet.........she usually arrives about a week or so after he does.
I show you another abstract and easy to fold traditional origami model, also representing a Sumo Wrestler. (See the first comment box for another traditional model). I folded two of them, a little on and a bigger one, training together ;-)
I used 15x15cm gold foil with pattern for the big one, final size height 6,5cm; width 6,5cm. And for the little one 9x9cm, final size: height 5cm, width 5cm.
A bit more information about Sumo Wrestlers from WiKi:
~~~The life of a professional Sumo Wrestler (rikishi) is strictly regimented and has detailed prescriptions and rules for rikishi that have been observed for centuries, so much so that rikishi can be seen more as a way of life than a career.
They are expected to grow their hair long to form a topknot or chonmage, similar to the samurai hairstyles of the Edo Period. Furthermore, they are expected to wear the chonmage and traditional Japanese dress at all times when in public.
Sumo life centers around the training stables, to which all active wrestlers must belong.
Most wrestlers, and all junior ones, live in their stable in a dormitory style: training, cleaning, eating, sleeping and socializing together.~~~~
Model: Sumo Wrestler
Design: Traditional
Diagrams in NOA-magazine # 171
Some of the moai found around the island have these large, red pieces on their heads. Despite what they look like, these aren’t hats, but are rather the hair styles (top knots) of those particular people represented by the statues.
Called ‘pukaos’, these large rocks were carved at the Puna Pau quarry out of red scoria, and are different to the rest of the stone you can find around the island.
A trip to Puna Pau allowed me to look into the quarry, as well as saw a number of pukao that never made it to their final destination.
This ahu represents the highest apex of rapanuis' rock carving. The sheer effort and expense involved in creating such an extravagant ceremonial altar is beyond comprehension.
Ahu Tongariki is the largest ahu on Rapa Nui (a.k.a. Easter Island). Its moai(s) were toppled during the island's civil wars, and in the twentieth century the ahu was swept inland by a tsunami.
The sun's rays start to come out.
The sun rises right in the middle of the platform on the 21st of June (solstice). The longest day of the year.
Of course, knowing when the seasons are changing was extremely important for farmers, which is why at least another 15 platforms on the island are infallible inventions of solar power.
All the moai statues were carved in volcanic tuff from the quarries of the Rano Raraku volcano, located one kilometer northwest. Despite their relative closeness, it is still not explained how they were able to transport to Tongariki these huge giants that have an average weight of 40 tons.
The moai measure between 5.6 and 8.7 meters, being the highest and heaviest (86 tons) the fifth on the right. If at the height of the moai, we add the 4 meters of the back wall and the almost 2 meters of the pukao or headdresses that adorned the head, the complete monument reaches a maximum height of 14 meters.
Formerly all the moai of the ahu carried a pukao on their head, but during the restoration only one could be placed on the second moai on the right. The others, due to the passage of time and the tsunami, were too eroded. On the right side of the platform I saw seven of these huge cylinders carved in red scoria extracted from the Puna Pau volcano.
Pukao, the headdresses of the moai.
The pukao were large cylinders made of volcanic red slag that adorned the heads of the Easter Island statues.
The pukao is an ornament, made with red scum from the Puna Pau crater, which was placed on the head of the statues of the most important ceremonial platforms on Easter Island.
Several archaeological studies indicate that the manufacture of the pukao occurred in times after the elaboration of the great statues, some even suggest that the extraction works in Puna Pau began when the quarries of Rano Raraku had already been abandoned.
In comparison with the almost 1,000 statues recorded, only about 100 pukao have been located, 70 of them demolished in the vicinity of the ahu and another 30 that still lie in the Puna Pau quarry. It is possible that there are more pieces buried in the paths or incorporated as recycled construction material into the ceremonial platforms themselves, making it difficult to define the total number of pukao that were carved.
This mismatch between the number of pukao and statues is explained because the pukao were added only to the moai that stood on certain selected ceremonial altars. In fact, these places already stood out from the rest for a very elaborate architecture, such as can still be seen in the Ahu Nau Nau on Anakena beach, the Ahu Hanga Te'e in Vaihu, the Ahu Akahanga or the impressive Ahu Tongariki .
With their incorporation into these ceremonial centers, the pukao further enhanced the images of the ancestors, as they gained height and were more imposing. This increase in monumentality is consistent with the hypothesis that the development of the pukao would be associated with the growing competition between tribal groups, who manifested their rivalry, making bigger and bigger moai on more elaborate altars.
Wikipedia: The Golden Buddha, officially titled Phra Phuttha Maha Suwanna Patimakon, commonly known in Thai as Phra Sukhothai Traimit, is a gold Maravijaya Attitude seated Buddharupa statue, with a weight of 5.5 tons (5,500 kilograms). It is located in the temple of Wat Traimit, Bangkok, Thailand. At one point in its history the statue was covered with a layer of stucco and colored glass to conceal its true value, and it remained in this condition for almost 200 years, ending up as what was then a pagoda of minor significance. During relocation of the statue in 1955, the plaster was chipped off and the gold revealed.
The origins of this statue are uncertain. It is made in the Sukhothai Dynasty style of the 13th–14th centuries, though it could have been made after that time.
At US$1,400 per troy ounce, the gold in the statue (18 karat) is estimated to be worth 250 million dollars. The body of the statue is 40% pure, the volume from the chin to the forehead is 80% pure, and the hair and the topknot, weighing 45 kg, are 99% pure gold.
The Crested pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes) is a bird found widely throughout mainland Australia except for the far northern tropical areas. Only two Australian pigeon species possess an erect crest, the Crested pigeon and the Spinifex pigeon. The Crested pigeon is the larger of the two and is sometimes referred to as a Topknot pigeon. I have dozens of these beautiful birds visit my yard every day.
The largest ceremonial center on the island:
The history of Tongariki mixes mythological stories, wars between clans and settlements of tribes that date back to the tenth century. In the large esplanade that extends in front of the ahu, there have been remains of boat-houses or hare paenga, old hearths or umu pae and hundreds of petroglyphs engraved in the volcanic rock that reflect the importance of this extraordinary place.
It is believed that Tongariki was the sociopolitical and religious center of Hotu Iti, one of the two great clans that grouped the tribes of the eastern sector of the island. The first human occupation dates from the year 900 AD. and it is related to the first phase of a first ahu. The impressive final monument is the result of a successive series of modifications and extensions, carried out throughout history, which show the technical mastery achieved.
Ahu Tongariki is the largest ceremonial structure built on Easter Island and the most important megalithic monument in all of Polynesia. It represents the zenith of the sacred constructions called ahu-moai that were developed in Rapa Nui for more than 500 years.
The central platform, whose axis is oriented to the rising sun of the summer solstice, measures almost 100 meters long and with its wings or original lateral extensions reached a total length of 200 meters. During the last final phase of construction of the ceremonial altar, Ahu Tongariki held 15 moai, which made it the platform with the largest number of images of the whole island.
Unfortunately, as happened with the rest of the ceremonial platforms of the island, the moai were knocked down from the ahu during the violent episodes that took place between the different island clans at the time of decadence of the Rapanui culture. It is believed that this period began after 1500 AD. reaching its peak at the end of the seventeenth century.
It is not known with certainty when the statues of the Ahu Tongariki were demolished, but according to the testimonies of the first European navigators who arrived at the island, it seems that these were no longer standing when they arrived at the beginning of the 18th century. However, the place continued to be used as a cemetery until the conversion of the population to Catholicism in the second half of the 19th century.
***
It is the largest ceremonial structure in any area of Polynesia, with a length of 220 meters from one side of a wing to the other.
The platform was restored between 1992 and 1996.
Paid by the Japanese government and a Japanese construction company.
All the moai statues were carved in volcanic tuff from the quarries of the Rano Raraku volcano, located one kilometer northwest. Despite their relative closeness, it is still not explained how they were able to transport to Tongariki these huge giants that have an average weight of 40 tons.
The moai measure between 5.6 and 8.7 meters, being the highest and heaviest (86 tons) the fifth on the right. If at the height of the moai, we add the 4 meters of the back wall and the almost 2 meters of the pukao or headdresses that adorned the head, the complete monument reaches a maximum height of 14 meters.
Formerly all the moai of the ahu carried a pukao on their head, but during the restoration only one could be placed on the second moai on the right. The others, due to the passage of time and the tsunami, were too eroded. On the right side of the platform I saw seven of these huge cylinders carved in red scoria extracted from the Puna Pau volcano.
Some Days that’s Easier Said than Done 😅
While wandering around on California's Eastern Sierra Backroads, I came across this little fellow and was very happy he decided to stay in place long enough for me to snap a quick Pic. He soon shot off to his sagebrush hideaway. Nature is pretty cool when you take time to observe.
The California Quail is a handsome, round soccer ball of a bird with a rich gray breast, intricately scaled underparts, and a curious, forward-drooping head plume. Its stiffly accented Chi-ca-go call is a common sound of the chaparral and other brushy areas of California and the Northwest. Often seen scratching at the ground in large groups or dashing forward on blurred legs, California Quail are common but unobtrusive.
Several California Quail broods may mix after hatching, and all the parents care for the young. Adults that raise young this way tend to live longer than adults that do not.
The California Quail’s head plume, or topknot, looks like a single feather, but it is actually a cluster of six overlapping feathers.
As an adaptation to living in arid environments, California Quails can often get by without water, acquiring their moisture from insects and succulent vegetation. During periods of sustained heat they must find drinking water to survive.
The California Quail is California’s state bird and has had roles in several Walt Disney movies, including "Bambi."
California Quail nests can contain as many as 28 eggs. These large clutches may be the result of females laying eggs in nests other than their own, a behavior known as "egg-dumping."
The oldest known California Quail was 6 years 11 months old.
(Nikon Z8, 600/6.3, 1/2500 @ f/6.3, ISO 640, edited to taste)
I had been watching my Grandson in a Downhill Mountain Bike Event in Tavistock Devon and stopped Nr Brentor to snap the sun shining on the moors.
Quail
Phoenix Desert Botanical Garden
From Cornell:
Gambel’s Quail are gregarious birds of the desert Southwest, where coveys gather along brushy washes and cactus-studded arroyos to feed. Males and females both sport a bobbing black topknot of feathers. The male’s prominent black belly patch distinguishes it from the similar California Quail (the two species' ranges don't overlap). This ground-hugging desert dweller would rather run than fly—look for these tubby birds running between cover or posting a lookout on low shrubs.
You’re most likely to see Gambel’s Quail in groups (coveys) on the ground, walking and foraging or scurrying between patches of cover. When alarmed they break suddenly into flights that tend to cover short distances but can be up to half a mile. Otherwise their flights are confined to “short hops” up to roosting spots and across barriers such as canyons. Look for groups feeding on vegetation together in the early morning and late afternoon. The covey spends midday in shaded, brushy spots screened from predators, such as a wash or vegetated fenceline where the birds take dust baths, preen, and sleep. Coveys tend to be family groups with an adult pair and up to 16 young that stay together in a home range well into fall. In winter, several coveys often combine to feed together. By later winter or early spring, these larger coveys break up again, and a few birds —mainly juveniles and males—join new coveys. As the breeding season approaches, male Gambel’s Quail find an elevated perch—often a fence post, tree, or shrub—and give a kaa or cow call. Courting males perform a ritualized foraging display called “tidbitting” to attract a mate. As a female approaches, the tidbitting male extends his legs, fans his tail, and stands with his head near the ground and tail in the air. He may also offer the female bits of food. Gambel’s Quail are considered socially monogamous, but some females desert a mate and her brood to take a new mate and lay another clutch, leaving her original partner to raise the chicks on his own.
Desert Denizen number three in my series.
From the Cornell Lab:
"Gambel’s Quail are gregarious birds of the desert Southwest, where coveys gather along brushy washes and cactus-studded arroyos to feed. Males and females both sport a bobbing black topknot of feathers. The male’s prominent black belly patch distinguishes it from the similar California Quail. This ground-hugging desert dweller would rather run than fly—look for these tubby birds running between cover or posting a lookout on low shrubs."
We found this one near Tucson, AZ.
Pukao, the headdresses of the moai.
The pukao were large cylinders made of volcanic red slag that adorned the heads of the Easter Island statues.
The pukao is an ornament, made with red scum from the Puna Pau crater, which was placed on the head of the statues of the most important ceremonial platforms on Easter Island.
Several archaeological studies indicate that the manufacture of the pukao occurred in times after the elaboration of the great statues, some even suggest that the extraction works in Puna Pau began when the quarries of Rano Raraku had already been abandoned.
In comparison with the almost 1,000 statues recorded, only about 100 pukao have been located, 70 of them demolished in the vicinity of the ahu and another 30 that still lie in the Puna Pau quarry. It is possible that there are more pieces buried in the paths or incorporated as recycled construction material into the ceremonial platforms themselves, making it difficult to define the total number of pukao that were carved.
This mismatch between the number of pukao and statues is explained because the pukao were added only to the moai that stood on certain selected ceremonial altars. In fact, these places already stood out from the rest for a very elaborate architecture, such as can still be seen in
* the Ahu Nau Nau on Anakena beach, flic.kr/p/t7Ueut
* the Ahu Hanga Te'e in Vaihu, flic.kr/p/tsFLyb
* the Ahu Akahanga flic.kr/p/2jDdHM6 or
* the impressive Ahu Tongariki. flic.kr/p/2jxPtKY
With their incorporation into these ceremonial centers, the pukao further enhanced the images of the ancestors, as they gained height and were more imposing. This increase in monumentality is consistent with the hypothesis that the development of the pukao would be associated with the growing competition between tribal groups, who manifested their rivalry, making bigger and bigger moai on more elaborate altars.
He took the high ground because it was higher than the low ground.
Scientists say the quail’s topknot helps with communication and attracting a mate. Maybe it’s shaped like a question mark because quail don’t know the answer either.
Tourist souvenirs archaeological sites:
Craftsmanship - checked.
Mini Black moais and other colors - checked.
I was unable to escape the tourist buses at this time.
***
In 1979, Sergio Rapu Haoa and a team of archaeologists discovered that the hemispherical or deep elliptical eye sockets were designed to hold coral eyes with either black obsidian or red scoria pupils. The discovery was made by collecting and reassembling broken fragments of white coral that were found at the various sites. Subsequently, previously uncategorized finds in the Easter Island museum were re-examined and recategorized as eye fragments. It is thought that the moʻai with carved eye sockets were probably allocated to the ahu and ceremonial sites, suggesting that a selective Rapa Nui hierarchy was attributed to the moʻai design until its demise with the advent of the religion revolving around the tangata manu.
The sun's rays start to come out.
The sun rises right in the middle of the platform on the 21st of June (solstice). The longest day of the year.
Of course, knowing when the seasons are changing was extremely important for farmers, which is why at least another 15 platforms on the island are infallible inventions of solar power.
Handicrafts of mini moais.
White Moai - There is a white volcanic stone moai on the peninsula of the Poike volcano.
Black Moai - There is a black volcanic stone moai on the north coast.
Yellow Moai - Most moais were carved from the Rano Raraku volcano, a yellow volcanic stone.
Gambel's Quail (male), Boulder City, Nevada. Title quote loosely adapted from the lyrics to Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2 by Pink Floyd.
Handsome male quail in the meadow at the end of the day
Many thanks to those that take the time to visit and/or comment and fav...it is sincerely appreciated!
The largest ceremonial center on the island:
Comparison of the size of several moai on the whole island with men:
The history of Tongariki mixes mythological stories, wars between clans and settlements of tribes that date back to the tenth century. In the large esplanade that extends in front of the ahu, there have been remains of boat-houses or hare paenga, old hearths or umu pae and hundreds of petroglyphs engraved in the volcanic rock that reflect the importance of this extraordinary place.
It is believed that Tongariki was the sociopolitical and religious center of Hotu Iti, one of the two great clans that grouped the tribes of the eastern sector of the island. The first human occupation dates from the year 900 AD. and it is related to the first phase of a first ahu. The impressive final monument is the result of a successive series of modifications and extensions, carried out throughout history, which show the technical mastery achieved.
Ahu Tongariki is the largest ceremonial structure built on Easter Island and the most important megalithic monument in all of Polynesia. It represents the zenith of the sacred constructions called ahu-moai that were developed in Rapa Nui for more than 500 years.
The central platform, whose axis is oriented to the rising sun of the summer solstice, measures almost 100 meters long and with its wings or original lateral extensions reached a total length of 200 meters. During the last final phase of construction of the ceremonial altar, Ahu Tongariki held 15 moai, which made it the platform with the largest number of images of the whole island.
Unfortunately, as happened with the rest of the ceremonial platforms of the island, the moai were knocked down from the ahu during the violent episodes that took place between the different island clans at the time of decadence of the Rapanui culture. It is believed that this period began after 1500 AD. reaching its peak at the end of the seventeenth century.
It is not known with certainty when the statues of the Ahu Tongariki were demolished, but according to the testimonies of the first European navigators who arrived at the island, it seems that these were no longer standing when they arrived at the beginning of the 18th century. However, the place continued to be used as a cemetery until the conversion of the population to Catholicism in the second half of the 19th century.
***
It is the largest ceremonial structure in any area of Polynesia, with a length of 220 meters from one side of a wing to the other.
The platform was restored between 1992 and 1996.
Paid by the Japanese government and a Japanese construction company.
Or as I call it, the poofy duck! We started our Sunday adventures at our favorite place, the Hawksbill Greenway in Luray Virginia. This is a new duck to the flocks of mallards and I suspect it's a mallard crossed with a Crested Duck. The peace and tranquility that we find in this place is just amazing. You can wander up and down the banks of the Hawksbill Creek which is a tributary of the South Fork of the Shenandoah River and observe all sorts of wildlife. I once saw a mink running along the edge with a frog in it's mouth and a whole flock of Mallards chasing along quaking for all they were worth! I always see a nice variety of birds here but the Mallard is by far the most abundant, which is fine with me as I do love them! Such friendly, quacky little ducks! :)
All the moai of Rapa Nui were toppled during the civil wars of the late 17th century. Only a handful of sites have been restored. This one has been left as-is, with the red rock "topknots" which were placed on the moai's heads having rolled further out. The topknots themselves weigh in the 20-50 ton range.
The more recent moai had pukao on their heads, which represent the topknot of the chieftains. According to local tradition, the mana was preserved in the hair. The pukao were carved out of red scoria, a very light rock from a quarry at Puna Pau.
Red itself is considered a sacred color in Polynesia.
The added pukao suggest a further status to the moai.
Moai and pukao cast down in the island's civil wars.
Platform will not be restored. Archaeological studies.
The 8 moai are now hunched in the exact position they were in when they were toppled, while the cylindrical pukaos (hair buns of the Polynesians) rolled great distances, two had to be removed from the bay.
***
After they were finished, the Moai were taken to the so-called Ahu, which were ceremonial platforms of stones that served as cemeteries for the noblest of the clan.
About 880 moai have been found on the island. 288 of these Moai are believed to have been taken and lifted on a platform. 397 moai remained in their factory (the Rano Raraku quarry) and 92 Moai were found on what would be the path between the quarry and the Tahu.
The Ahu Moai era lasted about 800 years. The intense need to always build more Moais and always bigger and more detailed, caused the overexploitation of the island's resources. Then, causing the depletion of resources in the 17th century.
Anyway, the scarcity generated fights between the clans, causing war where all Moai were overthrown. This act demoralized the "enemy" and was the greatest offense that a clan could receive. With the fall of the Moai, the Rapa Nui's devotion to their ancestors came to an end, and the power of the Ariki (king) was significantly reduced.
All of the Moais that remain on Easter Island today have been restored and replaced in that way. After the Ahu Moai era, there was no Moai left over the Ahu (platforms).
Huri Moai era:
Around 1680, the Huri Moai era began. This period was marked by the scarcity of resources and wars between the Rapa Nui clans. Thus, in this period new political and religious expressions gained strength, focusing mainly on the god Make-Make, on fertility and the power of matato’a (warrior leaders).
In order to lessen disputes, the Birdman competition was created. Eventually, through this competition, a new leader would be elected annually. Competitors needed to swim to Motu Nui Island (located right in front of Orongo) and capture the egg of the Manutara bird. The first to return to Orongo with the egg intact would be recognized as Tangata Manu, the reincarnation of the creator God Make-Make. Then, he became the island's leader for a year. Thus, the achievement of the highest rank on the island was no longer hereditary and became merit.
The most important ceremony of this cult took place in the village of Orongo, located at the top of the Rano Kau volcano.
Rapa Nui flag:
"Te Reva Reimiro" literally means King of the Wood.
An adornment used only by the king.
It was a wooden breastplate, which was used by men or king during the parties of the sweet potato plantation or Kumara.
There are two crescent moons at the end with the faces of people looking at the sky.
______________________________________________
When I arrived in Tahai I saw several archaeological remains of the Rapa Nui culture, and together with the imposing Ahu Tahai, I saw two of its brothers: the Ahu Vai Uri (a platform with 5 moais) and the Ahu Ko Te Riku, a moai with all its original elements (topknot and eyes).
I come to the last and perhaps most impressive element in the entire Tahai area. Can you imagine a moai with eyes? Well, this is the only moai in all of Easter Island that was restored with its original elements and that it is 100% complete.
The Ahu Ko Te Riku is a 5 meter high moai, it has a Pukao (red topknot on its head), and two white eyes made of white coral, just as the original eyes of these giants were. I couldn't go to Easter Island without seeing this amazing figure.
***
The second major attraction point within Tahai is the famous Ahu Vai Uri. The Ahu Vai Uri, which in Spanish means dark water, is a platform with five moais of different styles that surprises all visitors.
Although the statues that perch on this ceremonial platform are somewhat destroyed, it is a unique sight in an incredible place.
The Ahu Ko Te Riku's eyes:
Without the eyes, which were lost.
They only found one eye on Anakena beach.
It's in the museum on the island.
Some restored moais were placed with ceramic eyes, so we have the idea of the living ancestors, watching over us.
The eye holes were only sculpted when they were in the ahus.
The REAL eyes of the moais were made of white coral stones (eyeball) and stones of 'red slag/scoria' or 'black obsidian' (pupils) were placed only during rituals.
In this ahu they are made of ceramics.
The Ahu Ko Te Riku - The only moai with eyes from Rapa Nui:
Can you imagine a moai with eyes? Well, that's how they were in the beginning and if you want to know what they looked like you have to approach the Ahu Ko Te Riku, a ceremonial platform that houses the only moai with eyes on all of Easter Island.
About the Ahu Ko Te Riku:
Standing 5.1 meters tall, with a red topknot on his head (Pukao) and two incredible white eyes, the Ahu Ko Te Riku appears before me. This moai was restored in the 20th century and it was the only one to which all the elements that the ancient giants had were preserved.
First I had the red pukao (bun) that is on its head. These pukao are made of a volcanic stone called red slag/scoria that can only be removed from the Puna Pao volcano. According to tradition, it represents the hair/bun of the natives in the form of a bow on the head.
In addition to its pukao, this moai is striking for being the only one on the entire island with its two white eyes and in perfect condition.
Historians have discovered that once a moai was raised on its ceremonial platform (Ahu), these white eyes were placed on its figure so that it could project the mana (energy of the dead ancestors) and thus protect the islanders. A moai wasn't finished until he had his eyes set on the sockets.
These eyes were constructed of white coral and the pupils of obsidian volcanic rock. The only original eye that currently exists was found in 1978 and is on display in the island's Anthropological Museum.
Tips for visiting the Ahu Ko Te Riku:
Being the only moai with eyes, it is a must see if you go to Rapa Nui. If it is impressive to see it in photos, then imagine what it will be like to see it face to face.
Another important point is that you take your time. The Ahu Ko Te Riku is not alone, he is accompanied by his brothers the Ahu Tahai and the Ahu Vai Uri, both in the same area and just steps away from each other.
In the place (Tahai) I also saw archaeological remains that allowed me to see from another perspective (a more natural one) how the natives of Rapa Nui lived during their first years on the island.
I was finally able to capture an image that I liked. Although, I do wish his topknot was flared up more. He was side/back lite, not the best.
“You've gotta dance like there's nobody watching,
Love like you'll never be hurt,
Sing like there's nobody listening,
And live like it's heaven on earth.” - William W. Purkey
Yannis Martynov Edit
See his work here:
www.flickr.com/photos/yannismartynov/
www.flickr.com/photos/yannis_martynov/
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Vintage Romance
A lesser adjutant (leptoptilos javanicus) perched at the top of a tree in Yala, Sri Lanka. The balding head and wispy topknot combine to make this one of the less attractive storks!
Four of them with pukao (bun) that were restored in 1979.
Two of these moais are damaged, but the others are in excellent condition.
__________________________________________________
The best time to visit the Ahu Nau Nau and take pictures is in the early morning, when the sun illuminates the faces of the statues, and there are usually fewer tourists.
I went to this beach twice:
- The first time was at 3:15 pm on that photo. The moia's faces were dark and there was great light on the moai's back;
- The second time was at 12:28 pm. I was unable to arrive early because of other tours of my own.
During the restoration work carried out in 1978 by Sergio Rapu’s team, a surprising discovery was made. The Rapanui archaeologist Sonia Haoa found fragments of white coral and a disk of red scoria while excavating near a moai knocked down and half-buried in the sand. The remains found, once assembled, formed an eye about 35 cm long, which fitted perfectly to the empty orbit of the moai.
This finding marked a milestone in the knowledge that historians had about the moai. Until that time, it was thought that the eye sockets of the statues had been empty.
Anthropologist William Mulloy had already found similar eye fragments in his excavations at Vinapu on the south coast made 20 years earlier, but it was believed that they were pieces of a dish made in coral.
Since the discovery of Sonia Haoa, more remains of coral eyes have been found in other places on Easter Island. A total of 57 pieces of moai eyes were discovered during the 1978 excavation at Ahu Nau Nau, many of which still have marks of the tools used for their manufacture.
The four fragments that make up the almost complete eye are currently on display at the Sebastian Englert Anthropological Museum on Easter Island.
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Some restored moais were placed with ceramic eyes, so we have the idea of the living ancestors, watching over us.
The eye holes were only sculpted when they were in the ahus.
I've read that the head plume is not one feather, but a cluster of six overlapping feathers. This is the first time I've been able to see this.
Emigrant Lake - Jackson County - Oregon - USA
"The California Quail is a handsome, round soccer ball of a bird with a rich gray breast, intricately scaled underparts, and a curious, forward-drooping head plume. Its stiffly accented Chi-ca-go call is a common sound of the chaparral and other brushy areas of California and the Northwest. Often seen scratching at the ground in large groups or dashing forward on blurred legs, California Quail are common but unobtrusive. They flush to cover if scared, so approach them gently..... The California Quail digests vegetation with the help of protozoans in its intestine. Chicks acquire the protozoans by pecking at the feces of adults."
- Cornell University Lab of Ornithology
“Her eyes were a shade between amber and brown. Her face was scrubbed clean, void of any of the creams that some women favored to add color to their lips and cheeks. She had made no effort to hide the smattering of freckles on her nose, as some women were wont to do. He felt something inside him tighten. Oh, but she was a beauty, a sweet, natural beauty- not perfection. And it was that very unadorned quality that made her more beautiful still.
Little tendrils of hair, the color of chestnuts turning in the sunlight, trailed from her nape and her temples. And there, in front of her ears. It was as if she'd wound her hair in a loose topknot and hadn't given it another thought. He wondered if she was the absentminded sort.”
― Samantha James, The Seduction Of An Unknown Lady
On Jerzzie:
Tiffany gown form Luxe Paris