Wood carving in the Marquesas Islands is a practice undertaken by many of the local master craftsmen, who are known as tuhuna. The tuhuna are not only adept at wood carving, but are also skilled at tattoo art and adze manufacture.[1] Marquesan wooden crafts are considered among the finest in French Polynesia; they are highly sought after,[2] and of consistently high quality,[3] although weaving, basket-making, and pareu painting is more popular, especially among women artisans.[4] Paul Gauguin noted the artistic sense of decoration of the Marquesas and appreciated the "unheard of sense of decoration" in their creative art forms.[5]