Accession No

1955.140 A


Description

Hei tiki. Pendant figure carved from pounamu or greenstone, with iridescent shell inlaid eyes. The figure has a tilted head, large round eyes and an open mouth, with four limbs bent and positioned away from the body. The pendant is suspended from a modern cord.


Place

Oceania; Polynesia; Aotearoa New Zealand


Period


Source

National Art Collections Fund [monetary donor]; Smith, Arnold John Hugh [collector and donor]


Department

Anth


Reference Numbers

1955.140 A


Cultural Affliation

Maōri


Material

Stone; Jade; Greenstone; Shell; Wax; Fibre


Local Term

Hei tiki


Measurements


Events

()

Event Date
Author: Lucie Carreau


Description (Physical description)
Greenstone or pounamu hei tiki pendant with shell inlaid eyes and modern suspension cord
Event Date
Author: Flo Sutton


Loan (Long Term Gallery Loan)
Saffron Walden ethnography gallery On Loan from 1982, renewed 1989; 1993; 1996; 2002. Renewal requested May 2007 for a further three years, renewed in 2012 for 2 more years, Nov 2012 for two further years and Nov 2014 for 2 more years until Nov 2016

Reference: Ln384
Event Date
Author: maa


()

Event Date
Author: Lucie Carreau


Context (Amendments / updates)
Catalogue card handwritten in blue ink reads, '55.140 A-B Oceania New Zealand. Two jade tikis. A. a good example. ht. 5 ins. Has shell ring inlaid in eyes.' Later addition handwritten in black ball point, 'Modern suspension cord.'. Hhandwritten in blue ink, 'B. apparently much worn. ht. 2 1/2 ins. d.d. A.J. Hugh-Smith.'
Red circular sticker bottom right of card; black and white photograph of object labelled 1955.140 A attached to back of card.
Event Date 1955
Author: Heather Donoghue


Context (Analysis)
David Roy Simmons of the Auckland Museum notes, '55.140 A. Tiki, greenstone. Early C19. South Is.'
Event Date 1/6/1978
Author: maa


Description (Physical description)
Catalogue card notes 'Two tikis: A. Shell ring inlaid eyes and modern suspension cord. B. Apparently much worn.'
Event Date 2/7/1993
Author: maa


Context (Amendments / updates)
Amiria Salmond notes, 'David Simmons' views on the provenance and dating of Maori artefacts are no longer considered reliable in New Zealand.'
Record checked and revised by Amiria Salmond (2001.06.21).
Event Date 21/5/2001
Author: Heather Donoghue


Context (Auction / Sale)
Amiria Henare notes, 'Purchased with the assistance of the National Art Collections Fund (?), according to the records of the Fund themselves. Other gifts by this donor in the same period are listed as National Art Collections Fund, but no mention is made of this with reference to the tikis in either the Annual Report for 1955-56 or the Accessions Register.'
Event Date 17/12/2003
Author: Heather Donoghue


Context (Amendments / updates)
The Art Fund website noted 'two breast ornaments: i) New Zealand tiki with shell rings inlaid in the eyes; height 13 cm; ii) New Zealand jade tiki; height, 6.5 cm. Also iii) Silver Viking penannular 'thistle' brooch of Norse origin, found at Ballynolan, Ireland, in 1835.' were presented in 1955 by A.J Hugh Smith through the Art Fund.
Provenance: Mr A. John Hugh Smith. He also bequeathed material to the Fitzwilliam Museum in 1964 through The Art Fund. A J Hugh Smith is noted as a former director of Hambros Bank, member of the Executive Committee of the National Art Collections Fund and Honorary Treasurer 1931-1962.
Event Date 28/3/2019
Author: rachel hand


Description (Physical description)
Hei tiki. pendant figure carved from pounamu or greenstone, with iridescent shell inlaid eyes. The figure has a tilted head, large round eyes and an open mouth, with four limbs bent and positioned away from the body. The pendant is suspended from a modern cord.
Event Date 30/1/2023
Author: Flo Sutton


FM:98350

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