AN UNUSUAL GREENSTONE PENDANT

Te Ao Hou, Autumn 1953, Page 40

AN UNUSUAL GREENSTONE PENDANT A remarkable pendant, made of a pale greenstone, was purchased by the Dominion Museum from Mr K. E. Williamson, Ministry of Works, Wellington. It is a bird type of ornament, with a convoluted body and humanised characteristics. The type of body belongs to North Auckland and western districts of the North Island as far south as Taranaki. This object is 2 and 7–16 inches long and ½ inches wide at the bottom. Above, a crest appears, and below it is the suspension hole. A well-formed beak bends downwards to meet the breast. The eye appears incomplete. The body is U-shaped, humanised below after the manner of a Maori tiki, with feet in apposition. An arm, strongly made, emerges below the shoulder and bends downwards in typical fashion, to grasp the body below with a large, three-fingered hand. On its reverse side the pendant illustrates the manner in which it has been made by the slow process of hand grinding. This object has been through fire, and still has part of the back blackened. Described by W. J. Phillipps. Photographs by courtesy of the Dominion Museum, Wellington