Ear Ornament or Pendant (Kuru)
Not on view
This small, elongated oval greenstone ornament was worn variously suspended by a length of cordage from the pierced lobe of the ear or around the neck as a pendant by prominent Maori men and women. Greenstone (pounamu) was highly prized and ownership of such ornaments marked the wearer as a person of wealth and status. The ornament is thin and flat in cross section and made from translucent light green stone, polished by grinding with natural abrasives to a matte surface. There is a suspension hole at the upper end, created by drilling a separate, conically shaped hole into either side of the object so that the two holes met in the middle to fully pierce it.
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