The main interest of researchers and media in Easter Island are certainly the world-famous stone figures, called Moais. How were they made, transported across the island and placed on the platforms called Ahu? There is also great interest in the Rongo Rongo tablets, whose signs and symbols - probably not writing - have not been deciphered to this day.
Living on this island for many years and dealing with cosmetics on a daily basis, I (Petra, founder of the cosmetics brand Anakena) naturally often ask myself questions about other, more mundane topics: How did people live here in the past? What beauty ideals did they have? How did they take care of their bodies? How did they cut their hair and nails? The fact that the indigenous population lived for so long in complete isolation on this small island in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean means that they must also have been experts in natural medicine. What they ate has been researched. Where and how they cultivated, too. Much is also known about their tattoos. "Clothes" were made mainly of mahute, the bark of the shrub Broussonetia papyrifera, and feathers. Kiea, a clay found in a wide variety of shades on the island, was used for body painting, among other things.
There are only oral traditions, but unfortunately I could not find out much about the subject of body care, beauty ideals, fashions, etc. of past times until now.
The drawings seen here are by Gustavo Bórquez Paoa, a very well known and internationally appreciated Rapa Nui artist who has made numerous drawings for our cosmetic brand.
