Human hair necklace, "Lei Niho Palaoa"
date: label: Accession Date
content: 1858
label: Collection Date
content: 1838 to 1842
name: label: Collector
content: William French
label: Collector
content: J. W. Dyes
label: Donor Name
content: United States Exploring Expedition
notes: label: Notes
content: "LEI NIHO PALAOA," BRAIDED HUMAN HAIR NECKLACE COMPOSED OF MANY BRAIDS BOUND TOGETHER BY VEGETABLE FIBERS (PROBABLY "OLONA" FIBER) AT ENDS FOR TYING AROUND THE NECK. THE CENTRAL ORNAMENT IS CARVED FROM WALRUS IVORY. OLD EXHIBIT LABEL (CA. 1870'S) READS, "NECKLACE (PELAVA) SMALL CORDS OF PLAITED HUMAN HAIR, BOUND IN LARGE BUNCHES; ENDS FITTED WITH CORDS FOR TYING AROUND NECK, AND ORNAMENTED AT THE MIDDLE WITH A CARVED TUSK OF WALRUS, ROSMARUS COOKII, CUT SOMEWHAT IN SHAPE OF FIGURE 5, 2' LONG, 2 3/4" DIAM, IVORY 4 1/2" LONG. FORMERLY THE PROPERTY OF MME BOKI...PRESENTED BY WILLIAM FRENCH TO J.W. DYES - COLLECTOR, U.S. EX. EX." EXHIBITED MAGNIFICENT VOYAGERS, NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURALHISTORY, 1985-86. EXHIBITED SITES "MAGNIFICENT VOYAGERS," 1987-89.
label: Notes
content: From Peale catalogue entry for this artifact: "This necklace was formerly the property of Madam Boki, wife of Governor Boki .... presented to the Expedition by William French Esqr. Honolulu, Novr. 30th, 1840." Per Lynn Manuel, Lyman Museum, Hawaii, 4-23-2003, Mme Boki is probably Chiefess Kuini Liliha (1802? -1839), widow of Boki (d. 1829.)
label: Notes
content: Object was on display in National Museum of Natural History exhibit "Na Mea Makamae o Hawai'i - Hawaiian Treasures", 2004-2005.
label: Record Last Modified
content: 30 Aug 2023
label: Specimen Count
content: 1
place: label: Place
content: Hawaii (Hawaiʻi), United States, Polynesia
topic: label: Topic
content: Ethnology
culture: label: Culture
content: Hawaiian (Kanaka ʻŌiwi, Kanaka Maoli)
setName: label: See more items in
content: Anthropology
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: 66A00050
label: USNM Number
content: E3566-0
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Necklace
physicalDescription: label: Length - Object
content: 76 cm
label: Unknown - Ornament
content: 12.5 cm
label: Diameter - Ornament
content: 7 cm