Hawaiian
Necklace (Lei Niho Palaoa)
Hawaiian, 1799-1899
Scroll
Hawaiian
Necklace (Lei Niho Palaoa)
Hawaiian, 1799-1899
Physical Qualities
Sperm whale ivory, human hair, plant fiber, L. 21 in. (53.3 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Alan Wurtzburger
Object Number
1955.251.171
In Hawai’i, chiefly people of all genders were thought to be descended from gods. They declared this, in part, by wearing necklaces like this one to symbolize their divine ancestry and social position. The sperm whale ivory pendant on this work resembles a tongue and represents the importance of speech in chiefly activity. Meanwhile, the finely plaited human hair—each strand of which was given willingly by friends and family—speaks to the importance of familial and community connections.
The Baltimore Museum of Art by gift, 1955; Alan Wurtzburger
Wurtzburger Traveling
Oceanic Gallery Rotations 2021
Oceanic Gallery Rotations 2022
Oceanic Gallery Rotations 2023
Douglas F. Fraser & Paul S. Wingret, "The Wurtzburger Collection of Oceanic Art" , BMA 1956 pg 37, cat no. 171.
Kevin Tervala, "Oceanic Art at The Baltimore Museum of Art," Tribal Arts Magazine 104 (Summer 2022): 106-113. Illustrated on pg. 108
Kapuni-Reynolds, Helena. "Moʻokūʻauhau (genealogies) of care: curating Aliʻi collections at the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum." (2017).
Peter Gathercole, Adrienne L. Kaeppler, Douglas Newton, 'The Art of the Pacific Islands,' National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1979, #1.18.
Peter Gathercole, Adrienne L. Kaeppler, Douglas Newton, 'The Art of the Pacific Islands,' National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1979, #1.18.
Inscribed: none
