Female deity

Female deity. Nukuoro, Micronesia. c. 18th to 19th century C.E. Wood.

• Nukuoro is a small isolated atoll in the archipelago of the Caroline Islands. It is located in Micronesia, a region in the Western Pacific.
• An atoll is a ring-shaped coral reef including a coral rim that encircles a lagoon partially or completely.
• Archaeological excavations demonstrate that Nukuoro has been inhabited since at least the eighth century. 
• All the sculptures, ranging in size from 30 cm to 217 cm, have similar proportions: an ovoid head tapering slightly at the chin and a columnar neck. The eyes and nose are either discretely shown as slits or not at all. The shoulders slope downwards and the chest is indicated by a simple line. Some female figures have rudimentary breasts. Some of the sculptures, be they male, female or of indeterminate sex, have a sketchy indication of hands and feet. The buttocks are always flattened and set on a flexed pair of legs.
• Local deities in Nukuoro resided in animals or were represented in stones, pieces of wood or wooden figurines (tino aitu).
• The rituals marked the beginning of the harvesting of two kinds of taro, breadfruit, arrowroot, banana, sugar cane, pandanus and coconuts. During the festivities—which could last several weeks—the harvested fruits and food offerings were brought to the wooden sculptures, male and female dances were performed and women were tattooed. 
• For the period of these rituals, the sculptures were considered the resting place of a god or a deified ancestor’s spirit.