Human hair necklace, "Lei Niho Palaoa"
date: label: Accession Date
content: 1858
label: Collection Date
content: 1838 to 1842
name: label: Collector
content: Midshipman Samuel B. Elliott
label: Donor Name
content: United States Exploring Expedition
notes: label: Notes
content: NECKLACE OF BRAIDED STRANDS OF HUMAN HAIR, TIED IN BUNCHES WITH A CORD OF OLONA FIBER WHICH ALSO SERVES AS A TIE FOR AROUND THE NECK. THE CENTRAL ORNAMENT IS A PALAOA CARVED FROM WALRUS IVORY. THIS OBJECT WAS ON PERMANENT EXHIBIT IN THE PACIFIC HALL, N.M.N.H., 1989 [that exhibit dismantled in 2004]. AN OLD 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 IVORY TUSK OF WALRUS, ROSMARUS COOKII, CUT SOMEWHAT IN SHAPE OF FIGURE 5......COLLECTED BY S.B. ELLIOT."
label: Notes
content: FROM CARD: "CAT. 3563, ORIG. 891. IVORY AND HUMAN HAIR NECKLACE (LEI NIHO PALAOA). HAWAII. WALRUS IVORY, 4" HIGH. THERE ARE SIX OR MORE IN THE COLLECTION OF THESE, MOST OF THEM WALRUS IVORY. (THIS INFORMATION GIVEN BY K. P. EMORY, BISHOP MUSEUM, 6/24/41)."
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: E3563-0
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Necklace
physicalDescription: label: Length - Object
content: 50 cm
label: Depth - Ornament
content: 10 cm
label: Unknown - Ornament
content: 6 cm