Stone Sculpturings in Relief Ironi the 

 Hawaiian Islands. 



Bv JoHx F. G. Stokes. 



A STONE bearing a remarkable pair of petroglyphs was, a 

 few years ago, ploughed up at a place called Puu o Ma'o on the 

 cliff forming the eastern side of Moanalua valley, near Honolulu, 

 and after being taken to the house of the owner, Hon. S. M. Damon, 

 was photographed with that gentleman's kind permission. 



The .stone is an irregularly shaped piece of rather finely cellu- 

 lar basalt, measuring 31 inches long, 21 wide and 17.5 thick, the 

 face of which has been carefully worn down by hammering with a 

 stone or dull metal instrument, leaving the representations of two 

 human figures in relief (fig. i , /' and a) the outer surface of which 

 formed part of the original surface of the stone. The workman- 

 ship in the two figures differs in regard to care of execution, which 

 is probably due to the fact that fig. i, a, was nearer completion, and, 

 being in higher relief than the other, this would allow greater scope 

 to the dull tools applied. The area enclosed by the bodies, arms 

 and thighs of both figures and the arm and chin of fig. i, a, is higher 

 than the surrounding plane. The sculptured surface might thus 

 be likened to a zincotype well routed out. This would seem to be 

 due to the deficiencies of the tools used. 



The height of relief of fig. i, a, varies somewhat, being at finger 

 tip I.I inches, between chin and hand .8, chin 1.4, back 1.8, but- 

 tocks 2, foot .1 to .3, knee 1.3, between knee and elbow .6, belly .8. 

 The measurement from head to foot is 11.8 inches. In this figure 

 a piece has been recently broken out of the arm, leaving a scar 

 running from the finger to the elbow ; but it is still perfectly clear 

 that the hand had only three fingers. It is also evident that an 

 attempt was made to represent the junclure of the wrist and hand 

 by a narrow cross ridge. A comparison with the conventionalized 

 hands of the Maori carved figures might not be out of place. The 

 portion representing the face has been symmetrically chipped away 

 on both sides leaving a blunt ridge running from the forehead to 



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