Headdress (Pa'e Kaha)
For important occasions, Marquesans wore a variety of headdresses (pa'e). Among the most striking are the pa'e kaha, which consist of a band of woven coconut husk fiber adorned with alternating plaques of carved turtle shell and white shell. Worn primarily by chiefs, warriors, and male dancers, pa'e kaha were owned by families rather than individuals. The turtle-shell plaques were artificially shaped by heating and then bending them into the desired form. They are typically adorned with tiki (human images) and geometric designs in low relief. Early Western illustrations typically show pa'e kaha worn, as here, with the plaques curving downward but it is possible that they were worn with the panels upright, like a crown.
Artwork Details
- Title: Headdress (Pa'e Kaha)
- Date: mid to late 19th century
- Geography: Marquesas Islands, Nuku Hiva
- Culture: Marquesan (Enata) people
- Medium: Shell, turtleshell, fiber
- Dimensions: H. 4 1/2 × D. 18 3/4 × Diam. 8 in. (11.4 × 47.6 × 20.3 cm)
- Classification: Shell-Ornaments
- Credit Line: The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Bequest of Nelson A. Rockefeller, 1979
- Object Number: 1979.206.1484
- Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing
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Marquesan (Enata) people
early to mid-19th century
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Early to mid-19th century
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Maori people
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