Necklace (Wasekaseka)
ClassificationsClothing and Adornments-neck ornaments
Date19th Century
Collection SiteFiji
MediumSperm whale tooth and fiber
Dimensions13 × 12 3/4 × 1 5/8 in. (33 × 32.4 × 4.1 cm)
Credit LineDon and Barbara Greek Fund Purchase
Object number2004.37.1
DescriptionAdornment with necklaces is a shared trait of nearly all Oceanic cultures. For Fijians, using whale teeth for adornment had a special importance due to the strong connection to the ocean, but the difficulty of acquiring whale teeth meant that they first came to prevalence in the early 19th Century. Previously, shells had been the main element of necklaces. Though sperm whales do have curved teeth, which gives the individual ‘tusks’ their curvature, each tooth is individually sawed into about seven different tusks which are then polished until smooth. There are citations of teeth necklaces being worn atop one another like ruffles. Various fiber bindings were used to connect the teeth. We can see here that holes drilled through the teeth ensured the fiber cord could only be seen from behind.On View
On view
early 19th Century
20th Century
early to mid 20th Century
early to mid 20th Century
early to mid 20th Century
early to mid 20th Century
18th to 19th Century
19th Century
19th Century
19th Century