Just in time for next weeks opening, a three ton “Easter Island head” has been maneuvered into place for an exhibition at the Manchester Museum.  Moai Hava, which means “dirty statue” or “to be lost”, has been loaned to the institution by the British Museum.   The 5 foot statue is the centre piece at the upcoming show about Rapa Nui, which was named Easter Island by European explorers.

The statue is one of only 14 carved from basalt.  The majority are made of the softer volcanic rock.  More than 800 moai were quarried, carved and erected by the island’s inhabitants between 1100 and 1600 AD.

The exhibition runs from April 1st to September 6th.