Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Breastplate (Civavonovono)
Not on view
Whales were understood throughout Polynesia to be manifestations of the ocean god Tangaloa (Tahiti: Ta’aroa; Hawai’i: Kanaloa). Whalebone and ivory were therefore considered sacred relics into which the god’s divine essence was fused. Expertly fashioned into elaborate breastplates and pendants or split lengthwise to form spectacular necklaces, this rare and valuable material visually reinforced the chiefs’ descent from the gods and legitimated their rule.
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