Ear Ornament or Pendant (Kuru)
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.
Artwork Details
- Title: Ear Ornament or Pendant (Kuru)
- Date: 18th–early 19th century
- Geography: New Zealand
- Culture: Maori people
- Medium: Greenstone (nephrite)
- Dimensions: H. 3 1/2 × W. 1/2 × D. 3/16 in. (8.9 × 1.3 × 0.5 cm)
- Classification: Stone-Ornaments
- Credit Line: Purchase, The Richman Family Foundation Gift, 2013
- Object Number: 2013.25
- Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing
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