Accession No

1933.551


Description

Hei tiki. A pendant figure carved from greenstone or pounamu, coloured green, with a tilted head, an open mouth and large circular eyes, from which the original inlay is missing. The figure has four bent limbs, positioned outwards.


Place

Oceania; Polynesia; Aotearoa New Zealand; North Island; Taranaki


Period


Source

Moyses Hall Museum [collector]; Clarke, Louis Colville Gray [donor]


Department

Anth


Reference Numbers

1933.551


Cultural Affliation

Māori


Material

Stone; Jade; Greenstone


Local Term

Hei tiki


Measurements


Events

Description (Physical description)
Hei tiki pounamou. The inlay of the eyes is missing.
Event Date
Author: Flo Sutton


Context (Related Documents)
Catalogue card handwritten in black ink reads, '33.551. New Zealand. Maori green jade 'Tiki' [underlined]. Fine old specimen -the inlay in eyes missing. Bt. by Donor with other specimens from the Museum at Bury St. Edmunds.'
Red circular sticker bottom right of card; 'Clarke Gift' stamped in purple ink bottom centre of card; black and white photograph of object labelled 1933.551 attached to back of card.
Event Date 1933
Author: Heather Donoghue


Context (Auction / Sale)
Purchased by Louis C.G Clarke from Moyses Hall Museum, Bury St. Edmunds.
Event Date 1933
Author: maa


Context (Analysis)
David Roy Simmons of the Auckland Museum notes, 'Tiki in green jade. The inlay of the eyes is missing. It dates from the early nineteenth century.'
Event Date 1/6/1978
Author: maa


Context (Amendments / updates)
D.R. Simmons [Auckland Museum ?1.6.1978]: Tiki - greenstone. Early C19. Taranaki.
Amiria Salmond, 21.05.2001: David Simmons’ views on the provenance and dating of Maori artefacts are no longer considered reliable in New Zealand.
Event Date 10/5/2013
Author: Heather Donoghue


Context (Other owners)
MAA holds 6 early Polynesia items that were bought from Moyse’s Hall Museum in 1933 by Louis G. Clarke and donated to the MAA.
This seems to have been part of an attempt in 1933 by Moyses Hall Museum to reorganise and focus on local history and its disposed of material from abroad. These are now held in Ipswich, Liverpool and Manchester Museums as well as MAA. Possibly sold at the instigation of Henry ‘Hal’ Andrews (1904-1961) who replaced the previous curator of 34 years, Horace Barker, in 1933.
Event Date 6/7/2021
Author: rachel hand


Context (Analysis)
Professor Steven Hooper, University of Norwich, suggested this tiki probably dates to the 18th century, along with the other items acquired by Louis Clarke from Moyses Hall. (1933.551-554)
Event Date 9/9/2021
Author: rachel hand


Description (Physical description)
Hei tiki pounamou. A pendant figure carved from jade or greenstone, coloured green, with a tilted head, an open mouth and large circular eyes. The figure has four bent limbs, positioned outwards.
Event Date 30/1/2023
Author: Flo Sutton


FM:98234

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