Te mwae te bunna

Te mwae te bunna. Neck adornment. This te mwae (Neck ornament) is made with discs of dark brown nana (coconut shell) with three burewa (cowrie shells) incorporated into the design. The nana have been cut, ground and polished into round flat discs 7mm in diameter. Each are perforated through their centre and strung onto a cord of te kora (coconut sennit) which is golden brown in colour. Each far end of the kora are tied off in a knot. The three burewa are of varied sizes; each are strung separately toward the very end of the adornment. The buure are naturally in off-white colour with light green spots on the shells.

Ingoa Kē

Neck ornament of coconut and cowrie shell discs (English)

Wāhi

Nonouti/Gilbert Islands/Kiribati

Accession Number

1940.3

Rā Tāpiringa

1940

Tohu Tuakiri Kē

25127 (ethnology)

Wāhanga

Pacific