Cassandra D'Cruz
Specialist, Head of Sale
This auction has ended. View lot details
You may also be interested in
Lot 31
Maori Anthropomorphic Pendant, New Zealand, ca. 1600-1850
13 November 2018, 11:00 EST
New YorkUS$20,000 - US$30,000
Looking for a similar item?
Our African and Oceanic Art specialists can help you find a similar item at an auction or via a private sale.
Find your local specialistAsk about this lot
Maori Anthropomorphic Pendant, New Zealand, ca. 1600-1850
hei tiki
height 3 1/8in (7.9cm)
Provenance
Arman Fernandez, New York
Lance Entwistle, London and Paris
American Private Collection, acquired in 1993
According to Roger Neich, 'Distinct from all of these forms, the jade breast ornament called hei-tiki is the most characteristic and most highly valued of all Maori personal ornaments. In some Maori origin myths, Tiki was the first man, having been created by the god Tane. Thus carvings of human figures in any material whether bone, stone or wood, may be called a tiki. The prefix hei indicates something suspended from the neck, as in hei-tiki and hei-matau. Hei-tiki may be worn by both men and women, usually hanging vertically but sometimes horizontally from a suspension point on the side, especially by women. They are passed down through the generations as family heirlooms, and during a funeral they will be displayed near the deceased, along with other family heirlooms. With their own personal names, many hei-tiki are remembered in tribal songs and oral histories. Most of the mana or prestige of the hei-tiki derives from its close contact with those great ancestors who have worn it in the past, rather than from any magical or mystical meaning. Some would argue for a phallic symbolism in hei-tiki, while others claim that they represent fertility, perhaps in the form of a human embryo. Most commentators would agree that many of the current meanings attached to hei-tiki are relatively recent interpretations of an ancient symbol refined by many generations of artists. It is only natural that such a potent image as the hei-tiki would be subject to continuing reinterpretation. Consequently, any search for the "original meaning" of the hei-tiki is probably futile.' (Pounamu: Maori Jade of New Zealand, David Bateman Ltd., Auckland, 1997, pp. 23-25)
Carved from dark green pounamu nephrite jade with thick, fleshy proportions, the head turned to the right, ancient wear to the back with an old suspension hole worn through with a later suspension hole pierced through just above the right eye.
height 3 1/8in (7.9cm)
Provenance
Arman Fernandez, New York
Lance Entwistle, London and Paris
American Private Collection, acquired in 1993
According to Roger Neich, 'Distinct from all of these forms, the jade breast ornament called hei-tiki is the most characteristic and most highly valued of all Maori personal ornaments. In some Maori origin myths, Tiki was the first man, having been created by the god Tane. Thus carvings of human figures in any material whether bone, stone or wood, may be called a tiki. The prefix hei indicates something suspended from the neck, as in hei-tiki and hei-matau. Hei-tiki may be worn by both men and women, usually hanging vertically but sometimes horizontally from a suspension point on the side, especially by women. They are passed down through the generations as family heirlooms, and during a funeral they will be displayed near the deceased, along with other family heirlooms. With their own personal names, many hei-tiki are remembered in tribal songs and oral histories. Most of the mana or prestige of the hei-tiki derives from its close contact with those great ancestors who have worn it in the past, rather than from any magical or mystical meaning. Some would argue for a phallic symbolism in hei-tiki, while others claim that they represent fertility, perhaps in the form of a human embryo. Most commentators would agree that many of the current meanings attached to hei-tiki are relatively recent interpretations of an ancient symbol refined by many generations of artists. It is only natural that such a potent image as the hei-tiki would be subject to continuing reinterpretation. Consequently, any search for the "original meaning" of the hei-tiki is probably futile.' (Pounamu: Maori Jade of New Zealand, David Bateman Ltd., Auckland, 1997, pp. 23-25)
Carved from dark green pounamu nephrite jade with thick, fleshy proportions, the head turned to the right, ancient wear to the back with an old suspension hole worn through with a later suspension hole pierced through just above the right eye.
Additional information
Bid now on these items
