ear-ornament
- Museum number
- Oc.7278.a-b
- Description
-
A pair of ear ornaments, 'u'uhe, made of porpoise teeth, turtleshell, glass beads and vegetable fibre. Each consists of an ‘S’ shaped length of heat-moulded turtleshell, embellished with a bunch of porpoise teeth threaded on vegetable fibre, and decorated with blue glass trade beads. Pair is joined by a string of red and blue beads; on one side there is a fragment of two additional strings of clear and black beads.
- Production date
- 19thC (before 1871)
- Dimensions
-
Length: 41 centimetres
-
Width: 3.50 centimetres
- Curator's comments
- Pp.49-50, McKinney, N. (2012), ‘The Marquesan collection at the British Museum, London: Genesis, growth and stasis’ (unpublished Master’s thesis). Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
‘U’uhe, a type of ear ornament worn by women, have been made with introduced trade beads from the eighteenth century onwards. They are an example of the immediate incorporation of new materials into existing types of ornaments and objects.
- Location
- Not on display
- Exhibition history
-
Exhibited:
2006-2007 28 Sept-7 Jan, London, BM, Power and Taboo
- Acquisition date
- 1871
- Department
- Africa, Oceania and the Americas
- Registration number
- Oc.7278.a-b
- Additional IDs
-
CDMS number: Oc1871C1.7278a-b (old CDMS no.)
-
Miscellaneous number: Oc1871C0425.18
