Necklace (lei niho palaoa)
The pronounced upward curve of this walrus ivory pendant is likely a stylized reference to a tongue. Its incorporation into the necklace signals the importance of oratory in chiefly pursuits. The crescent-shaped form, a design vital to embodying the divine, also acted as a counterpoint to the crested helmet that protected the head of the chief. Cords of intricately plaited human hair suggest a genealogical link between high-ranking chiefs and their ancestral gods.
Artwork Details
- Title: Necklace (lei niho palaoa)
- Date: Early 19th century
- Geography: United States, Hawai'i
- Culture: Hawai'i
- Medium: Walrus ivory, human hair, fiber (’olonā)
- Dimensions: As worn: H. 13 × W. 8 × D. 2 3/4 in. (33 × 20.3 × 7 cm)
- Classification: Bone/Ivory-Ornaments
- Credit Line: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Bequest of Nelson A. Rockefeller, 1979
- Object Number: 1979.206.1623
- Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing
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