The Pacific god A’a

What is it? This divine sculpture was made on Rurutu, one of the Austral Islands in Polynesia. When it was given to British missionaries in 1821, its name was recorded as A’a. A’a was said to have been named after the ancestor who founded the island of Rurutu and who, after death, had been deified. IMAGE: © Trustees of the British Museum TEXT: Julie Adams. The sculpture is 117cm tall and covered in 30 small figures that represent various features, such as the eyes, nose, and mouth of A’a. The sculpture also has a large internal cavity accessed via a detachable panel on its back. Recent wood analysis has shown A’a was carved from sandalwood. As sandalwood is not endemic to R