Easter Island, or Rapa Nui, is a small island in the easternmost corner of Polynesia. The Rapa Nui settled the territory between 800 and 1200 a.d. The moai sculptures are among the most famous sculptures in the world. A team of stoneworkers quarried volcanic stone to build the monumental works. In the 16th century, the Rapa Nui began worshiping a religious icon called “birdman,” a figure that is half man, half bird. An artist made a relief carving showing a simplified birdman in profile. In the 18th century, an artist used barkcloth—a rare, fabric-like material—to model a figurative sculpture of the birdman.