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Tahiti — Otaheite
(Place)

Also known as: Otaheite.

An island in French Polynesia.

Mentioned in

Figure 257.—Rim projection of bowls: a, Cook Islands; projection rectangular in vertical section and full thickness of rim (see exception in figure 4, a), b, Tahiti; projection triangular in vertical section, full thickness of rim at base, and carved with median and lateral lines in manner reminiscent of markings on head of stone pounders (fig. 10, c, d). c, Austral Islands; projection not full thickness of rim, curved at ends, and stepped, d, Austral Islands (Raivavae); projection carved in circles at ends and stepped. 1, from above; 2, vertical section; 3, side view Figure 260.—Types of small four-legged seats. a, type one, Cook Islands (British Mus., 1905/1-20/4): 1, curved seat with slight concavity at ends, not carved; 2, leg heart shaped with edge (3) toward middle line; 4, foot heart shaped with point toward middle. b, type two, Tahiti (Bishop Mus., C4190): 1, seat with little curve, straight ends; 2, straight legs, round in section but with edge (3) to outer side; no feet. c, type two, Tahiti (Royal Swedish Mus.): 1, seat with greater curve than b, concave ends; 2, legs round in section but with vertical edge (3) to outside; no feet. d, type three, Austral Islands (British Mus., Tah. 3): 1, seat with great curve, concave ends; raised plane in middle at ends (5), and carved edge; 2, legs heart shaped, with edge (3) toward middle; 4, round foot. e, distinctive Tuamotuan seat (Bishop Mus., 5973): 1, flat seat with straight ends; 2, long legs rounded in section set close to ends of seat; 4, no feet but lower ends flared to roughly rectangular shape; 5, rung between legs Figure 264.—Polynesian fan outlines. a, Aitutaki. b, Rarotonga. c, Mangaia. d, Tahiti (British Mus., Tah. 69), same technique as a and b. e, Marquesas, curved sides and twilled plaiting. f, Hawaii (Bishop Mus., C9232), found in burial cave, closed leaflets in check, triangular shape conforming to central Polynesian type. g, Hawaii (Bishop Mus., 7965), specialized form of fine fan peculiar to Hawaii. h, Samoa, reversed triangle with straight base on handle and curved sides; twilled plaiting. i, Samoa, reversed triangle with slanting base and curved sides Figure 265.—Polynesian cloth beaters (ike, i'e): a, Atiu, Cook Islands; b, Mangaia, Cook Islands, finishing beater; c, Tahiti; d, Marquesas; e, Austral Islands, general form; f, Tubuai, Austral Islands, crossed pattern; g, Rapa, crossed pattern; h, Hawaii, general form; i, Hawaii, zigzag pattern; j, Mangareva, showing wide smooth surface (1) and narrow grooved surface (2); k, Easter Island; l, New Zealand; m, Tonga Figure 266.—Types of poncho (tiputa). a, Tahiti: slit neck, plain sides and lower borders; yellow cloth with red fern leaves. b, Mangaia: slit neck, plain sides and lower borders; painted design. c, Atiu: circular serrated neck; plain sides and lower borders, breadfruit bast without design. d, Mangaia: circular serrated neck; serrated sides and lower borders; perforated triangular and lozenge motifs. e, Mangaia: circular serrated neck; serrated sides and fringed lower border; perforated motifs. f, Mangaia: circular serrated neck; fringed sides and lower borders; perforated motifs. g, Tahiti: circular plain neck; fringed sides and finely serrated lower borders; painted motifs. h, Niue: circular plain neck, fringed sides and coarsely serrated lower borders; painted motifs Figure 267.—Pearl-shell breast ornaments. a, Mangaia (Fuller coll.): outer rim border (1); free ends of coil (2) not seized; horizontal strands of hair braid (3) out side of lashings; lock of human hair (4); for details of similar ornament, see figure 65. b, Tahiti (British Mus., Tahiti case): three shells of different sizes, largest and smallest with edges serrated, largest and middle with strip of outer rim border; attached to human hair coil by cord through two holes pierced through all three shells; one end of hair coil seized with single coir fiber in five sections to form large open eye (1) and other end seized with coir fiber in one close loop (2), evidently to form plug for insertion into open eye. c, Tahiti (British Mus., Tah. 160): similar to b, with three shells attached to hair coil through two holes with strip of tapa; one end of coil seized in five sections with single coir fiber (as in b, 1) but other end fitted with wooden cylindrical plug (1) with longitudinal hole (2) lashed to coil (3) with fine sennit as shown in figure, d, Marquesas (Peabody Mus., Salem, E. 5,283): large shell cut with upper curved edge, pierced with 16 holes; narrow strip of outer surface (1) left along rim and notched with close transverse lines; hair coil lashed to shell with three courses of fine sennit; ends of coil seized to form eyes (2) for attachment cord. e, Tuamotu (Bishop Mus., C9152): nine pieces of shell of varying sizes attached to human hair coil by a single human hair braid passing through bored holes in shell and wound spirally around coil Figure 272.—Polynesian bailers. a, common form with median free handle, used in Tuamotu, Marquesas, Samoa. b, handle end attached to bottom, Niue, Ellice Islands. c, unilateral attachment of handle, sporadic in New Zealand and other regions. d, bilateral connection of handle to sides, Tahiti (British Mus., Tah. 6): length, 435 mm.; outside width, 135 mm.; depth, 110 mm.; width of cross connection, 40 mm. e, Cook Islands form, Mauke (fig. 135, d-f). f, specialized New Zealand form of a Figure 273.—Polynesian drums. a-d, direct upper attachment; e-h, indirect upper attachment. a, Aitutaki, Cook Islands, see figure 168: lower slot attachment. b, Tahiti, Society Islands (Cambridge University Mus.): lower slot attachment; height, 20.5 inches; upper diameter, 7.75 inches; lower diameter, 8.5 inches. c, Raivavae, Austral Islands (British Mus., L.M.S. coll.): lower attachment to rectangular slots with another row of unused rectangular slots above engaged slots; lower third carved; height, 49 inches; diameter, 14.25 inches. d, Raivavae, Austral Islands (Cambridge University Mus.): lower attachment to carved knobs (1); woodwork carved below knobs and ends in lower row of rectangular slots (2), no longer used for attachment. e, Mangareva (Museé de St. Germain): indirect upper attachment to loops of single circumferential braid and lower attachment simply looped around short projecting knobs (1) on lower rim; height, 41 inches (for details see 77, p. 401). f, Fagatau, Tuamotu (Bishop Mus., B3692): shark-skin cover missing but single circumferential braid (1) remained in position with tautening braids looped over it; lower attachment to hoop (2) and lower ends of braid carried down in some pattern which has become disarranged; height, 47 inches. g, Marquesas (Bishop Mus., 8001): upper band (1) of circumferential braid which passes through alternate slits in skin cover in ten courses to form continuous band, five braids externally and five beneath cover; tautening braids (2) passed through loops so formed and lower ends attached to hoop (3) fastened to body of drum through large (4) and small (5) slots: turns of flat coir plaiting (6) used to cover knots to hoop have slipped out of position, h, Hawaii (Bishop Mus., 4849): tautening braids passed around lozenge-shaped loops (1) formed of olona fiber cord and attached below around vertical parts (2) of open woodwork; height, 15 inches; top diameter, 12 inches Figure 274.—Polynesian wooden images, front and side views. a, Rarotonga, fisherman's god (Peabody Mus., Cambridge, Mass., 53517). b, Aitutaki, goddess (British Mus., L.M.S.). c, Tahiti, sorcerer's image (ti'i) (British Mus., 7047). d, Raivavae, Austral Islands (British Mus., 54-12-29-120). e, Marquesas (Bishop Mus., 3020) f, New Zealand, carved figure with face tattooing pattern (Oldman coll., 14). g, Mangareva, god (La Rochelle Mus., H.498). h, Easter Island, carved figure (moai kava-kava) (Oldman coll., 343). i, Hawaii, goddess (Bishop Mus., 9072). j, Tonga, goddess (Oldman coll., 530) VIEW OF TAHITI

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