Marquesas Islands Whale Bone Figure

This ivi po’o (small bone cylinder) comes from the Marquesas Islands. Ivi po’o are a form of personal adornment that could be plain or intricately decorated. This one features a carved human form and is referred to as a tiki ivi po’o. Tiki ivi po’o are believed to represent ancestral deities. Tiki ivi po’oTiki ivi po’o were popular adornments. People wore them around their necks on cord or in their hair