Ivory Pendant Necklace (lei niho palaoa)
Artist Unknown
19th century
Size: 12 in. x 8 in. x 2 3/4 in. (30.48 cm x 20.32 cm x 6.99 cm)
Transfer from of the Sana Art Foundation.
Worn by the royal class in Hawai‘i as a symbol of power and genealogical inheritance, this ivory pendant necklace (lei niho palaoa) is made of sperm whale tooth, sennit fiber, and human hair. The necklace, or lei, is constructed of miniature braids from the entwined hair of an elite, maternal woman, a material selected because it was seen as spiritually potent.
Similarly, the tooth of a beached whale, shaped and polished to form the pendant, would have been seen by native Hawai‘ians as a gift from the sea and gods. Sennit cordage, made in this region from natural fibers or coconut husks, was woven as a strong yet functional appendage and clasp for this weighty necklace.
Imbued with the power and essence, or mana, of the creator, this piece was passed on through native Hawaiian generations as a visual symbol of the legitimization and adornment of a powerful chief or ruler.
One of more than 900 works recently given to The San Diego Museum of Art by the Sana Art Foundation, this object is representative of the Museum’s commitment to collect art from African, Pacific, and Native American cultures.
