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Necklace (lei niho palaoa)

Early 19th century
Not on view
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

Object Information
  • 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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