Verversingsplaats op Hawaï met graftombe 1822

This drawing captures a scene from Hawai'i, rendered by Jacques Etienne Victor Arago. Dominating the landscape are the carved figures, or "tiki," guardians of sacred spaces, silent witnesses to the dance of life and death. Consider the tiki's distant cousins – the ancient Greek herms, or the Roman termini, each marking boundaries, both physical and spiritual. These figures, like the tiki, stand as potent symbols of protection, their gaze warding off unwelcome forces. Just as the herms guarded doorways and crossroads, the tiki watches over this Hawaiian resting place, a sentinel in the landscape of memory. These symbols are not static; they evolve, adapt, and resurface. Like the restless waters that mirror their forms, they reflect the ever-changing currents of human culture and belief. Their constant resurgence in different guises connects us to the powerful, subconscious currents that shape our collective experience.