Stilt Step (Tapuvae)
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Object Label
An important aspect of male competition in the Marquesas Islands, stilt games were either group races or individual competitions in which one opponent attempted to knock the stilts out from under his rival. Oral traditions record that some performers were so skilled that they were able to turn somersaults as they tested their athletic ability. During certain religious events, however, stilt demonstrations also measured a man's spiritual strength. Stilts were composed of a step attached with ornamental lashings to a shaft between five and seven feet long.
Caption
Marquesan. Stilt Step (Tapuvae), late 18th century. Wood, 15 x 2 5/8 x 4 5/8 in. (38.1 x 6.7 x 11.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Arturo and Paul Peralta-Ramos, 56.6.106. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 56.6.106_SL1.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Culture
Title
Stilt Step (Tapuvae)
Date
late 18th century
Geography
Place made: Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia
Medium
Wood
Classification
Dimensions
15 x 2 5/8 x 4 5/8 in. (38.1 x 6.7 x 11.7 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Arturo and Paul Peralta-Ramos
Accession Number
56.6.106
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
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