Te ntabo

Te ntabo. Red shell neck ornament. This is a neck ornament that features a pendant made from the shell of the koikoinanti. A single te moromoro (bead) has been placed near the perforation on the pendant where te kora (coconut husk fibre cordage) has been threaded through. The pendant is almond shaped with a shallow convex form. The convex surface has been smoothed to show a red coloured area. Some marks remain. The opposite side of the pendant is concave and shows the remains of the original interior of the shell that is slightly rough upon the surface, mostly red in colour with some natural pale brown shading. The depth of the shell material can be seen from where it has been cut into an almond shape. Te mormoro is blue in colour and the neck band of te kora is a single two-ply cord that has been left unfastened. Te Ntabo would be worn around the neck by either sexes. The koikoinanti can also be referred to as 'the small shell of the spirits' and is regarded a highly valuable possesion.