The Scholar's Feast: The Rosman Rubel Collection

The Scholar's Feast: The Rosman Rubel Collection

View full screen - View 1 of Lot 24. Fan, Marquesas Islands.

Fan, Marquesas Islands

Lot Closed

April 8, 04:24 PM GMT

Estimate

15,000 - 25,000 USD

Lot Details

Description

Fan

Marquesas Islands

tahi'i (fan)

ke'e (handle)


Length: 15 ⅜ in (39.1 cm); Width: 11 ¾ in (29.9 cm)

Private Collection, New Bedford, Massachusetts
Willis Henry Auctions, Rockland, Massachusetts, May 26, 2013, lot 160, consigned by the estate of the above
Abraham Rosman and Paula Rubel, New York, acquired at the above auction

Tahi’i fans typically exhibit a body made from braided coconut leaves or a stiff grass with a wood or bone handle. These fibers were tightly woven around a long wooden handle, or ke’e, and sometimes colored with crushed lime or coral, which was reapplied as needed. While the earliest fans collected before the 1800s were carved with smooth handles, shortly thereafter handles on Tahi’i became more ornate. 

Carved back to back, two tiki couples sit one above the other on the handle of this Tahi’i. They exhibit typical features of Marquesan tiki, including large heads and deeply set eyes. There are some differences between the two sets of figures: the ears of the top couple appear to be joined, while the lower couple's shoulders are merged. Some faint traces of lime are visible between the woven fibers of the body of the fan. The bottom of the fan handle terminates in a rounded knob.


Tahi’i fans were carried as status markers by influential, high-ranking members of Marquesan society, specifically by warriors (toa) and ritual specialists (tau’a). These fine objects were displayed at important events, such as feasts, and were a marker of elegance and taste.