Lot 242
Oceania, Polynesia, Fiji, ca. 19th century CE. A wonderful example of a chieftain pendant made from a single sperm whale tooth that was once part of a larger necklace known as a wasekaseka (or waseisei). The crescent-shaped pendant has a narrow tip, a curving body with incredibly smooth surfaces textures, and a flat top with a drilled suspension hole bearing a petite length of thread. Whale tooth pendants like this example as well as the wasekaseka they come from are highly symbolic as markers of rank and status among different chiefs. They could also be used as highly prized ransom items when certain individuals were captured by opposing tribes. Size: 5.2" L x 0.6" W (13.2 cm x 1.5 cm); 7.7" H (19.6 cm) on included custom stand.
According to the curatorial team of The Museum of New Zealand, "Whales' teeth are prized by Fijians and other Pacific peoples, Tongans and Samoans in particular. During the 19th century's Pacific whaling industry, fueled by a Euro-American demand, whale teeth became more readily available in Fiji and this resulted in the greater production of valuable objects being made from these teeth. Tongan and Samoan canoe craftsman living in Fiji carved waseisei for Fijian chiefs using metal tools that had been introduced by European traders and whalers of the time."
For a whale tooth pendant from a full wasekaseka, please see The Museum of New Zealand (Te Papa Tongarewa), registration number FE007333.
This is an ESA antique exempt piece of ivory and cannot be sold internationally or to anyone residing in the states of California, Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Washington. We guarantee that the piece is over 100 years old.
Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-Norman Hurst collection, Cambridge, acquired before 2000
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance),
we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
#154505
- Condition: Minor abrasions to upper and lower tips, with one area of pitting to body, and fraying and loosening to knotted thread, otherwise intact and excellent. Smooth surface texture throughout. Old inventory label on verso of upper body.
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