Te ririko

human history

Te ririko. Neck ornament of porpoise teeth and beads. It is made of three material components: wiin te kua kewe (porpoise teeth) and te kora (coconut sennit fibre cordage) and small te moromoro (glass beads) in light blue, navy and white. A two-ply cord makes up the neck band. The ends of the cord have been fastened together creating a thick clustered knot. The two-ply kora has remained a singular cord threading up to five beads then a single wiin te kua kewe. This has been repeated through the Neck ornament creating an alternating pattern. It is mostly made up of light blue beads with the exception of navy and white dappled near the fastened ends of the Neck ornament. The wiin te kua kewe on this Neck ornament are medium in size and length. The roots of the teeth are matte and off-white in colour. Some expose the internal cavity and some remain covered. The exposed ends of the teeth are more off-white in colour and polished. Small perforations have been made with a shark toothed pump drill into the the roots of the teeth for te kora to be threaded through. This type of neck ornament can be worn by either men or women at any time.

Accession number: 1936.295 Last Update: 30 Nov 2018
Other Name

Neck ornament of porpoise teeth and beads (English)

Accession Number

1936.295

Accession Date

1936

Other Id

22926 (ethnology)

24 (Maude Collection)

Department

Pacific

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Te ririko; 1936.295; 22926, 24; Cultural Permissions Apply Cultural Permissions Apply
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