Fish hook pearlshell pendant
date: label: Accession Date
content: 17 Feb 2017
label: Collection Date
content: 2012
name: label: Collector
content: Jean T. Chapman-Mason
label: Donor Name
content: Jean T. Chapman-Mason
notes: label: Notes
content: "Pearlshell (Pinctada margaritifera/ blacklip oyster) of peacock green and hints of rose..., carved into a fishhook bearing finely carved motifs that are also used in traditional carving and in tatau (tattoo). Motifs inlcude ngaru tu (big waves - to symbolise adventure, spirit, power), & variants of the tikitiki tangata (people linking hands for unity & cooperation). The shell colours are indicative of the colour of the black pearl produced: ie, this one would have been peacock green with hints of pink, a much favoured colour by Cook Islanders and black pearl purchasers generally (also the most expensive type of pearl). " "Carved by Tokerau Jim, a Tongarevan living on Rarotonga."
label: Record Last Modified
content: 26 Aug 2016
label: Specimen Count
content: 1
place: label: Place
content: Rarotonga, Cook Islands, Polynesia
topic: label: Topic
content: Ethnology
culture: label: Culture
content: Cook Islands Maori
setName: label: See more items in
content: Anthropology
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: 2069807
label: USNM Number
content: E433842-0
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Pendant
physicalDescription: label: Length
content: 4.5 cm
label: Width
content: 3.5 cm