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Te mwae te ira

human history
  • Common Name
    Adornment
  • Other Name

    Neck ornament made from human hair and pandanus leaf (English)

  • Description

    Te mwae te ira n atu ae rarangaki. Neck ornament made from te ira n atu (human hair) and pandanus leaf. Pieces of hair are looped or doubled back on themselves to form short sections that can be held in place by a plaited length of pandanus that is woven in and out of the loops of hair. The pandanus leaf is also woven to form a backing for the hair that keeps it in place and ensures that there are no gaps in its placement.

    The hair is 30-35mm long and due to the intricate weaving of the pandanus leaf, fans out uniformly. The pandanus leaf backing tapers at either end of the Neck ornament to single plaited cords that are used for tying the ornament around one's neck.

  • Place
    Nonouti/Gilbert Islands/Kiribati
  • Accession Number
    1940.3
  • Accession Date
    1940
  • Other Id

    25174 (ethnology)

  • Department

    Pacific

Te mwae te ira n atu ae rarangaki; 1940.3; 25174; Cultural… … Read more

Images and documents

Images

  • Te mwae te ira n atu ae rarangaki; 1940.3; 25174; Cultural Permissions Apply
  • Te mwae te ira n atu ae rarangaki; 1940.3; 25174; Cultural Permissions Apply
  • Te mwae te ira n atu ae rarangaki; 1940.3; 25174; Cultural Permissions Apply
  • Te mwae te ira n atu ae rarangaki; 1940.3; 25174; Cultural Permissions Apply
  • Te mwae te ira n atu ae rarangaki; 1940.3; 25174; Cultural Permissions Apply
  • Te mwae te ira n atu ae rarangaki; 1940.3; 25174; Cultural Permissions Apply
  • Te mwae te ira n atu ae rarangaki; 1940.3; 25174; Cultural Permissions Apply
  • Te mwae te ira n atu ae rarangaki; 1940.3; 25174; Cultural Permissions Apply
  • Te mwae te ira n atu ae rarangaki; 1940.3; 25174; Cultural Permissions Apply
  • Te mwae te ira n atu ae rarangaki; 1940.3; 25174; Cultural Permissions Apply
  • Te mwae te ira n atu ae rarangaki; 1940.3; 25174; Cultural Permissions Apply

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