Te mwae

human history

Te mwae. Neck ornament. This te mwae (Neck ornament) is made up of three material components: te kora (coconut sennit fibre), coconut shell and conus shell. A pale brown two-ply cord of kora has been used as the band to thread circular discs of sea shell and coconut shell. The circular discs are small in circumference, thin in depth and have been drilled or cut from a larger piece. A central perforation has been drilled for threading onto the fibrous band. The sequence of shell discs are patterned, alternating between an off-white conus shell disc then a mid to dark brown coconut shell disc. Some segments of te mwae show where two coconut shell discs have been threaded together. The patterned sequence has been repeated across the Neck ornament entirely. Te kora has been knotted in one segment, closing off the entire te mwae. The discs are similar in diameter and depth.

Accession number: 1940.3 Last Update: 30 Nov 2018
Other Name

Neck ornament

Te Mwae

Te mwae Teimoone

Accession Number

1940.3

Accession Date

1940

Other Id

25190.6 (ethnology)

Department

Pacific

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Te mwae; 1940.3; 25190.6; Cultural Permissions Apply Cultural Permissions Apply
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