One thing that Pete and I have been fascinated with for years is the moai on Easter Island. There are almost 900 of the statues arranged the islandand I would love to fly all the way over there just to gaze upon them. I guess this is another World Heritage site I should add to my list.
Photo credit: Wikipedia
I don’t know what it is about those stone carvings, but they call to me and I find myself wanting to make my own version of Easter Island right here in Jenworld. I guess we’d call it Jenster Island.
When we were in England a year ago, we went to the British Museum for a look-see. While we were studying the Parthenon Sculptures, Pete stopped to look at the museum guide and then got a funny look on his face. After we were done looking at stolen Greek antiquities, he said he had a surprise for me and led us off to another gallery. This is what we saw:
Photo credit: myself
Holy heck, I would love to have that in my garden.
On a much, much, much smaller scale, I have taken a few steps toward creating Jenster Island.
Standing sentry on our front porch is this wee fellow:
This one is about 12" tall.
By the shed, I have this:
This one is about 15" tall and is in a bed filled with purple, lavender, and white spring perennials.
We also have this, although it is not a la Easter Island:
This guy is 12" tall and very heavy -- he's carved from granite.
This is what is known in our family as a Ted Head. My in-laws have several of them and gave me one for my birthday a few years ago. Each one is carved by a guy up in New York state named Ted. I adore themand if my mother-in-law were smart, she’d attack lo-jacks to hers in order to ensure they don’t end up in the trunk of my car and then back here in Jenster Island.
I also dig gargoyles and grotesques (scroll down to the section on architecture). Years ago, I gave Pete a wee grotesque for Christmas. It was a copy of one found at Notre Dameand we both adored it. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be out in the elements and years in the garden caused it to crumble. I searched for another one for years and just found one online a few days ago. I haven’t ordered it, but I have sent the link to Pete in case he wants to get a jump start on National Jen Day. I think it would look fabulous on our front porch.
That’s it for the faces and heads in my garden, although I’m looking to add more.
Who’s with me on the Easter Island fascination?
`
Totally whimsical and awesome. I dig it, girl. It’s YOU. I can imagine your whole yard filled with these guys.
Dumb Dumb. Me want gum gum.
No really, that’s all I see, hear, think about looking at those heads.
I’m more of a tiki head gal.
That’s the same thing I thought! : )
I love the EI Heads…
Don’t forget to add the Rideau Canal to the list of World Heritage Sites you have visited!
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1221
I have an Easter Island head – my brother gave it to me as a housewarming present when we moved into our London flat in 2002. He’s about 10 inches high, and sits by our fireplace. I love it!
We went to Hawaii in 2007 and it was awesome – we visited the Polynesian Cultural Center and it had all sorts of awesome info about Easter Island. My brother, who is now on a mission in Paraguay, look a picture by one of those dudes.
Jen, it is eerie how much my brother resembles an Easter Island guy.
Eerie, I tell you.
To think I was there when you saw your real one. And that it was a year ago!
I never knew the difference between grotesques and gargoyles before. My husband loves grotesques as well, and we have one looking down from the top shelf on the hutch, guarding his collection of single-malt scotches.
I find the EI guys fascinating, but for my own garden I think I’d prefer Ted Heads and grotesques. I really like the little crouching guy you linked to.
I seriously need some head, pronto!
I have lots of faces, but only 1 head, and it is of the grotesque variety.
I would also love to see these in person, but I’m afraid they don’t call to me. Except to make me watch Night at the Museum again. : ) Gargoyles and grotesques, yes. The creepier the better. But not in my house/yard/garden. (Hmmm – would they scare off the pocket gophers?) I used to have a little cat grotesque that sat watch in my bathroom. Enough people commented on how creepy it was that I finally moved it to our closet. Now he keeps watch over my dresser.
Me, I just want a bottle tree. Or three.
And maybe one of these:
http://spokalulu.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/2012-march-050.jpg
It reminds me of Godzilla vs. Megalon
Love the heads – I would ad one to my garden if I found one. I have lot’s of mosaic things and colorful hanging stuff – not all of them chimes. I am very picky and many of the things for gardens are too “cute” for my taste, but I like having surprises here and there.