Te ririko

Te ririko. Porpoise teeth ornament. This is an ornament that can be worn a variety of ways. It can either be worn around the neck or as part of pair where both would be worn as a sash across the upper body crossing at opposite sides. It is made of three material components: te kua kewe (porpoise teeth), te kora (cordage of coconut sennit fibre) and te moromoro (glass beads). A three-ply te kora makes up the neck band. The ends are knotted and each feature three spherical shaped te moromoro that portray some degree of transparency. One end shows te moromoro of a yellow colour, a smaller one in green and then a dark blue one of similar size to the yellow. The other end shows te moromoro in a black colour, a smaller one in green and an even larger one that is black. Another knot has been made in the neck band after the placement of te moromoro. Beyond this, te kua kewe features as a double layer. The roots of each te kua kewe are matte and a dark off-yellow colour. Their exposed ends are polished and off-white in colour. Small perforations have been made from the use of te uubai (pump drill) into the roots of the teeth for the te kora to be threaded through. This type of ornament can be worn by either men or women at any time.