Te taona n riri

human history

Te taona n riri. Dance girdle. This is a dance girdle made of ira (pandanus leaves), te kora (coconut sennit fibre cordage) and bumble bee (Engina mendicaria) shells. Two long strips that are the entire length of te taona n riri have been woven together with a third strip of te ira. Bumble shells have been threaded onto the waist band of ira with te kora. Each bumble bee shell has a small perforation drilled through its aperture where te kora has been threaded through. The shells are small in size, feature a short spire, long belly and aperture and are black and off-white striped in colour. They have been threaded onto the waist band in two horizonal rows with the spires directed towards the edge. One end of te taona n riri has been finished with a woven end where the two ends of kora have been left loose. The other end has been knotted into a stub of te kora and te ira. Te taona n riri would be worn across the waist, atop te riri (skirt) and below another waist ornament made of te nana (coconut shell discs) for dance ceremonies by women.

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

Dance girdle (English)

Accession Number

1936.295

Accession Date

1936

Other Id

22998 (ethnology)

10 (Maude Collection)

Department

Pacific

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Te taona n riri; 1936.295; 22998, 10; Cultural Permissions Apply Cultural Permissions Apply
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