Vase aux dieux tahitiens Made from a wood carving, this terracotta, executed in just a few very rare specimens, is a synthesis of the mysterious presences that populate the lives of the inhabitants of Polynesia. The figures depicted are none other than the inhabitants of the small island where Gauguin had chosen to live. They are seemingly normal scenes, with two figures talking, Hina and Te Fatou. Another is wielding some kind of spear, more likely the branch of a tree, and the standing figure with her hair up is standing still and staring at something in front of her. However, the normality of these scenes is transfigured by Gauguin's deliberate primitive style, which succeeds in creating a kind of awe in the viewer, as if one was in the presence of some spirit or magic ritual. The strength of Gauguin's touch comes out powerfully and manages to make us see even the things hidden in our subconscious. This terracotta, on permanent display in the Museum of Art and Design in Denmark, was recently shown in the major exhibition on Gauguin held at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.