BRITISH MUSEUM, Moai Statue

Now let me tell you about a gem in the British Museum that you can't miss: the statue of Hoa Hakananai'a from the village of 'Orongo on Easter Island. This is one of the sculptural masterpieces of the Moai population.

It was brought here in the second half of the 1800s by the crew of the ship HMS Topaze. The translation of its name is unclear: it could mean "breaking wave", "surfing fellow", or be connected to a "lost or stolen friend".

It was found near a house on the southwestern tip of the island. Its back was turned to the sea and was facing the crater of an extinct volcano: but it's also likely that its original positioning was different.

Look at it: over two feet tall, the statue powerfully emerges from a large block of dark brown volcanic tuff. Stylistically, it's similar to the other Easter Island statues with a prominent nose, thin mouth, and jutting chin. Its deep-set eyes make its rounded forehead seem to protrude even more. It has large, well-defined ears, its chest is enhanced with the small nipples, its arms go down its sides, and its hands clasp its belly....