hei tiki

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Hei tiki

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Ornamental pendants of this kind are called hei tiki and were worn by the Maori as a commemorative sign to honour the memory of deceased relatives and their cultural identity. They were valuable family possessions and passed down through generations.
The head of the figure is inclined toward the shoulder and has been fitted with a hole at the top through which a string of flax is pulled in traditional use. The legs are angled, with touching heels, the arms resting on the thighs. The figure is thus consistent with the traditional form and, like most hei tiki, is gender-neutral. Both eyes are inlaid with mother-of-pearl.

Data Provider
Museen Freiburg Show original at data provider

Cataloguing data

Cultural attribution
Maori
Object type
Anhänger
Dimensions
Width: 50.0 mm
Height: 100.0 mm
Material/Technique
Mother-of-pearl, Nephrite
Current location
Museum Natur und Mensch
Inventory number
II/1512
Other number(s)
0628 (Inventory Number Depositors)

Provenance and sources

  • Production
    when
    1800 - 1899
  • Change of physical control or legal title
    where
    New Zealand (location/origin)
    Oceania (location/origin)
    Polynesia (location/origin)
  • Assignment to a curated holding:
    Oceania

Information about the record

Legal status metadata
CC0 1.0 DEED

Related objects

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