Rei (necklace)

This is a necklace attributed to the chain of islands extending through the Austral group to Mangaia in the southern Cook Islands. Sea mammal ivory was much prized for personal adornment and ceremonial presentation in these islands, as it was in many parts of the Pacific, including New Zealand.

Materials and decoration techniques
This necklace consisting of seven small ivory or bone units suspended at regular intervals from a fibre cord. The cord is composed of plaited sennit seized with plaited human hair and is looped at one end and frayed at the other. The pendant pieces are four curved rectangular plates, two 'double spheres' or 'sex emblems' (thought to depict testicles), and a well-modelled 'pig' in the centre with a spiral-ridged tail.

Significance
A necklace such as this would only have been worn by people of high status. The symbolism of the amulets is unknown, although some scholars consider the double spheres to represent testicles. There is a suggested parallel with a small group of early Māori stone amulets, usually described as 'divided' rather than 'double' spheres. This necklace is one of several fine examples of adornments made from sea mammal ivory in the Oldman collection.