Year collected: [Missing] / Accession number: Acc.25 / Function: 3.1 Status Objects and Insignia of Office - Hearst Museum Portal Search Results

Start Over Year collected [Missing] Accession number Acc.25 Function 3.1 Status Objects and Insignia of Office

Hearst Museum object titled Girl's hair headdress, accession number 11-483, described as The human hair headdress (tuinga lau ulu) is a Samoan mark of status worn on important occasions by the village virgin (taupou) or the son of the high chief (manaia). Hair is obtained from healthy girls of good family and bleached by treatment with saltwater and sun. The hair, tied into tufts, is strung into cords; a typical headdress has about 140 tufts. A framework (lave) of sticks, feathers and mirrors (modern substitutes for shells) is mounted at the front of the headdress above two forehead bands (pale fuiono) of Nautilus pompilius shells. The headdress fits tightly over a cap of tapa cloth, and is said to cause great discomfort to the wearer.

Hearst Museum object titled Headdress, accession number 11-467, described as Head-dress of mirrors and peacock feathers.

Hearst Museum object titled Lei (necklace), accession number 11-400, described as Ornament of strings of finely braided human hair.

Hearst Museum object titled Lei niho palaoa (whale tooth pendent necklace), accession number 11-623, described as Braided human hair and ivory hook.

Hearst Museum object titled Lock of human hair, dyed, accession number 11-470.2, described as dyed reddish orange

Hearst Museum object titled Necklace, accession number 11-468, described as Necklace of shells.

Hearst Museum object titled Ornament, accession number 11-470, described as Ornament of human hair

Hearst Museum object titled Ornament, accession number 11-469, described as Ornament of human hair

Hearst Museum object titled Ornament, accession number 11-622, described as Ornament of braided human hair, small

Hearst Museum object titled Ornament, accession number 11-472, described as Ornament of human hair