Nephrite+pendant+(Hei+Tiki)



Nephrite pendant (hei tiki) []

**__Identification__** **Title:** Nephrite Pendant (Hei Tiki) **Medium:** Nephrite, halitosis shells **Artist:** Unknown **Country of Origin:** New Zealand **Culture:** Maori **Date:** Probably 18th or early 19th century AD __Introduction:__ This is an example of a Nephrite Pendant worn by the Maori people of New Zealand. It is usually worn in veneration of dead ancestors, often passing from generation to generation. Some researchers claim the nephrite tiki's represent human embryos and have inherent magical powers. They are still in common use by the native maori peoples of New Zealand and are worn on special occasions to commemorate past ancestors. Due to the hard nature of the jade from which they are carved, and the traditionally primative tools used to fashion the pendants, they are a remarkable and stunning example of Oceanic art. *For more information see link: [] __Descriptive Analysis__ This nephrite pendant or tiki is approximately 13.8 cm in length and made of nephrite, which is a form of jade that is typically found on the south island. It is dark in color making it appear to be a shade of black. The surface of the tiki is smooth with carvings of various shapes protruding out from almost all parts of the surface. The tiki has an almost human form to it, with a head, two legs and two arms making it entirely symmetrical. Although the tiki does have a somewhat human form to it, it is lacking feet and it does not have an evident sex. The head of the tiki is also similar to that of a human, having two eyes a nose and a mouth. The mouth is to some extent open with the corners of the lips turned upward to form a small grin. The nose is a simple carving that points down with two nostrels, the tip of the nose almost points down enough to touch the top lip where it comes to a point. The tiki’s head is slightly tilted to the right with the eyes looking to the right as well. The eyes of the tiki are inset, with the right eye appearing larger the left one, and with the tilt of the head the right eye looks as if it is almost sitting diagonally above the left eye. The arms of the tiki curl inwards towards the torso where each hand is balled up in a fist position to meet the top of the legs. Both of the legs curl inwards to meet each other and slightly overlap each other in a sort of upwards sitting position, almost as if the figure is sitting crossed legged. There is no neck connecting the head to the torso. The torso of the tiki has a diamond- like carving directly in the center of it with the point of a second diamond about 2 cm above the central diamond. The legs come off the sides of the torso with half circle shape carvings on the tops of both legs. The half circle shape pattern repeats itself twice where it then meets a circle shape carving at what would be the knee of the tiki. At the circle shape carving the legs begin to bend downward to curl inward and meet each other in the middle. Protruding out of the top of the tiki’s head is a suspension cord; this is so that the tiki could be worn around the neck as a pendant. This particular tiki is in excellent condition and has no evident damage to it.

__Formal and Contextual analysis__

The hei tiki, which means nephrite pendant, is an artwork attributed to the Maori culture. According to their ancient traditions, the Maori people migrated from their original home of Hawaiki, to New Zealand around 800 A.D. and became these islands original inhabitants. This ancient people still exist today in parts of New Zealand, but with the arrival of Europeans, the two cultures began to merge. Today many of the people have more distinctive European-looking features, quite often making it nearly impossible to distinguish them as otherwise. However their culture and traditions still remain (Hooson, p. 293-296). The Maori people were originally hunters and gatherers during the period known as the Archaic Phase of New Zealand Eastern Polynesia culture. For long periods of time their key to survival was hunting a twelve foot flightless bird called a [|moa] (Internet Source 1: "Maori History section"). But with time this bird became extinct and the Maori were forced to become a more agrarian centered civilization. In this society warfare became very common because of the lack of suitable farming land. Because of this, the Maori developed very advanced carving techniques, which not only helped them fashion weapons, but also beautiful art (Internet Source 8). Most Maori art is thought to be merely decorative, while some ancient art forms have lost their meaning over time with the arrival of Europeans. Most of their artwork don't represent idols or gods, but rather venerated ancestors of their society. This is probably the case with most tiki (Internet Source 1: "Maori Art" section). The hei tiki was a very common piece of artwork/jewelry found within the Maori culture. Translated, “hei” means something worn around the neck and “tiki” is a word used for all human forms. Historians aren’t completely positive as to the exact significance of these tikis but many theories have been speculated (Internet Source 2). Some of these theories include the representation of fertility or a human embryo or the act of childbirth. These were all common themes in Polynesia. These tikis are highly valued by the Maori and act as almost a sort of family heirloom being passed down from generation to generation. Since the most accepted opinion as to the significance of theses tikis is that they are associated with fertility, it is believed that they were worn mostly by females, since they are the bearers of children. However, early European settlers to the area saw men wearing them, also. It is suggested that they did so on occasion as a symbol of good fortune or as the revered possession of a line of famous ancestors (Phillipps p. 139) (Internet Source 1: "Maori Tiki" section). Because men were known to wear the tiki, also, it is sometimes theorized that the tiki is a figure that ends up looking like an embryo because it was difficult to carve. In other words the tiki didn’t represent an embryo to the Maori initially, but later was thought to look like one and then given that meaning. The tikis have very unique shapes. One theory suggests that the figure is in a squat position to symbolize an embryo and then given magical powers. The reason the tiki is thought to represent fertility or an embryo is that the shape is usually that of a female. The curving of the figure is thought to represent the embryo. Tikis are normally also very small because of the stone used to create them came in small nuggets. Sometimes traces of the original cutting and shaping of the stone can be seen at the feet if the stone was not big enough to complete the entire tiki. Most tikis are fashioned from a stone related to jade called nephrite. Ancient Maori traditions believe that the creation of this stone relates to the children of Tangora, the god of the sea. The nephrite is a very hard and durable stone, and would take much labor, time, and advanced carving skills to complete a tiki (Internet Source 1: "Maori Tiki" section). Hei tikis are sometimes made out of bone and ivory, but the majority of them are made of nephrite jade which is known as Pounamu in Maori language. It is only found on the South Island of New Zealand known as Te Wai Pounamu (The land of Greenstone Water) or Te Wahi Pounamu (The place of Greenstone). Nephrite was important to the Maori culture and besides being used to make pendants and art, it was also used to make a variety of tools and weapons, as they lacked the use of metal. One of the tools made from nephrite was called the Adze which was a blade that is thought to have often been made into a tiki. Some tikis have what appears to have been the sharp edge of an Adze, usually on the foot of the tiki. A weapon, called the mere, which was a short club, was also made from nephrite. (Internet Source 4) The other theory for what the tiki represented is based on the belief of the Maori that both the hei tiki and the mere contained mana. Mana is said to be a spiritual quality that has a supernatural origin. Mana was considered to represent the bearer’s influence, authority, and power. When a tribe had what the Maori called “mana whenua” it meant that the tribe had demonstrated their authority over a certain territory. Nephrite was a valuable mineral to the Maori and they chose to use it to make elaborate tikis, which either represented the supernatural to them or was a symbol of women, fertility and the embryo. It is uncertain exactly what the tiki represented and it might have had a slightly different meaning to different people. There is no question that the tiki was special to the Maori, however, because it was carved from special stone and passed on within families. (Internet Source 4) The hei tiki is just one form of nephrite pendants made by the Maori people. Another common pendant is called a [|hei matau,] which is a pendant in the shape of a fish hook. Like the hei tiki, the hei matau is a “taonga”, meaning a cultural treasure. It represents not only their land, but also prosperity, fertility and safe passage over water and the importance of fishing for survival (Internet Source 5: "Meanings of Designs" section). The tiki described here is very similar to those found in other museums. The Brookland Museum has an example of a tiki as does the Auckland Art Gallery. They all have tilted heads and curved lower extremities. The eyes are very large and exaggerated, also. The similarities in the carvings would seem to confirm that this representation of a figure has meaning to the Maori. Whether that meaning is as a fertility pendant, a representation of ancestor worship or mana is unknown. (Internet sources 6 & 7) Tikis are still manufactured and worn today. With the advancement in technology tikis can be produced on a mass scale, which allowed them to be used for commercial purposes. But still there are those that exist that have been passed down from generation to generation, worn for ceremonial purposes, and that hold significant meaning and value to whoever wears it (Internet Source 1: "Maori Tiki" section).

__References__

Hooson, David, ed. __Geography and National Identity.__ Oxford; Cambridge, Mass, 1994. (This book tells how geography plays a role in a given society and how it affects their practices, beliefs, and customs.

“Maori of New Zealand”. 2001-2009. __http://www.maori.info/index.htm__ **[Note: Cited above as 'Internet Source 1']** (This site gives an overview of Maori history, culture, words, artwork, tikis.)

Nephrite pendant (hei tiki). The British Museum of Art. [] **[Note: Cited above as 'Internet Source 2']** (This website shows an image of the artwork as well as gives a brief overview.)

Phillipps, W.J. __Maori Life and Custom__. Wellington, A.H. & A.W. Reed, 1966. (Gives a thorough description of Maori culture, practices, lifestyle)

“Virtual New Zealand: Maori Culture” __http://www.virtualoceania.net/newzealand/culture/maori/__ ** [ Note: Cited above as 'Internet Source 3'] ** (Gives an overview of the beginning of the Maori people, their origins and their traditions)

Nephrite. (2009, January 4). //Wikipedia.// Retrieved 18:55, March 15, 2009, from [] ** [Note: Cited above as 'Internet Source 4'] **

The Bone Art Place: Meaning of Designs" 2001. [] **[Note: Cited above as 'Internet Source 5']** (This site gives a brieft description of the meanings behind different carving designs of the Maori people.)

Te Hei Tiki. Auckland Art Gallery.http://www.aucklandartgallery.govt.nz/exhibitions/0505tiki.asp **[Note: Cited above as 'Internet Source 6']**

Pendant (Hei Tiki). Brooklyn Museum of Art. http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/16238 **[Note: Cited above as 'Internet Source 7']**

"Whakapapa: New Zealand History" [] **[Note: Cited above as 'Internet Source 8']**

 "Maori Of New Zealand" [] Retrieved 12:31, April 14, 2009

**Lesson Title:** Cultural and Personal Identity Pendant. **Grade Level:** 7 **Time:** Four 50 minute classes **Standards:** ====This lesson meets the following [|National Standards for Arts Education (Visual Arts)]: ====
 * NA-VA Standard 12.5: Reflecting upon and assessing the characteristics and merits of their work and the work of others
 * NA-VA Standard 12.1: Understanding and applying media, techniques, and processes
 * NA-VA Standard 12.4: Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and cultures
 * NA-VA Standard 12.3: Choosing and evaluating a range of subject matter, symbols, and ideas

**Central Concepts:** __Culture:__ Culture is the surroundings in which a person lives and interacts. Some are more distinct, but all have their differences. By examining the different styles and uses of pendants to see how cultural norms and cultural identities have an effect on the stylistic qualities and content of the pendants we can get a better view into a culture's beliefs and practices.

__Pendant__: The different styles, contexts, and uses of pendants in social settings such as churches, temples, town squares, etc give a good look into how social interactions work with pendants and how they interact with a community on a social level.

__Identity__: The image that a certain culture uses to describe themselves in ways that pertain to their lifestyle, social norms, and identity as an entity. Personal identity is very similar except that it is on a much more focuses and individual level since it only deals with oneself and a person’s view of themselves and who they are as a person. Looking at a cultural or personal identity can be done through or help to interpret a work of art.

Students will research culturally significant jewelry (focusing on pendants) in various cultures and how the pendants vary in appearance as well as their uses within the culture. Once students have settled on a certain culture and its style or use of pendant, as well as written a short paragraph about the pendant they chose, they will carve and decorate a small wooden pendant that reflects their cultural and personal identity or that has a specific use in their cultural setting such as religious or a good luck charm.
 * Lesson Summary **

**Activity 1**: Open communal forum on jewelry of importance. 25 minutes. An open ended discussion with students on why certain pieces of jewelry are important and the role they play in a culture. The instructor will use an overhead projector and power point to show examples of famous pendant or necklaces such as crown jewels, shell necklaces used for money, fertility necklaces such as the hei tiki pendant, and other pieces of jewelry that play a large part in cultures.
 * Lesson Activities: **

Images: http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/DMPOD/WA504937.jpg http://img2.etsystatic.com/006/0/5649706/il_fullxfull.385782078_lwpa.jpg http://crownjewelry.homestead.com/pg3.jpg http://www.beautifulnativeamericanjewelry.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Native-American-Jewelry-2.jpg http://www.mangalorean.com/circle/images/travel1/20070902kenya20.jpg http://www.pasunautre.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/sir_yadavindra_ceremonial_carier_style.png

**Activity 2**: Self-guided Research 45 minutes. Students will go online and do a more in depth research on at least 3 different pieces of jewelry from the discussion that interested them. They can also research and discover more jewelry on their own, however any new jewelry found should be a pendant. They will write a small paragraph on each of the pieces that they researched in depth. Students will print out their findings and write a single paragraph that should state what social and cultural implications jewelry can have, how it impacts people of the culture, and how it is affected by its surroundings. Students will then brainstorm to come up with ideas for a small wood carving project that is a pendant. Students will make at least three sketches of a pendant they think should be made or a new interpretation of an old piece of jewelry.

**Activity 3**: Pendant Creation. 110 minutes. The instructor will introduce the creation project with a short demonstration of the proper use of wood carving tools and what purpose each tool has, showing a few simple youtube videos to aid with understanding. The instructor will then explain the project of making a personal or cultural identity pendant and show an example of the instructors work to get students thinking. Students will then go over their sketches and modify them as they see fit before starting to carve on a small wooden block. Students will wear protective aprons and use the wood carving tools to carve their own pendant and decorate it with paint, stain, varnish, or a simple clear coat.

Videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oICYTCNQ2pA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiTV5DlHlKc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0u-E9-1Doo

**Activity 4**: Reflection. 20 minutes Students will hold a short discussion about each other’s pendants and how they might represent certain aspects of importance to their own culture or to the artists sense of identity.

Students will be graded on a mixed rubric that combines tangible elements with abstract concepts. The criteria will be based on the students participation in discussions, use of correct vocabulary and terms, research, written assignments (quality and content will be two separate grades); as well as on a separate set of criteria for the actual piece. The actual artwork will be assessed for craftsmanship, concept, connection to research, and finally, using the student’s best estimate of their own grade.
 * Assessment: **