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
"The Alan Wurtzburger Collection of Oceanic Art", Baltimore Museum of Art, January 7th-March 4th 1956
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
Inscribed: none
