Jewellery in the Pacific

Jewellery making in the Pacific started later than in other areas, due to relatively recent human settlement. Early Polynesian jewellery, which was made of bone, wood and other natural materials, has not survived. The precise start of island jewellery-making is difficult to pinpoint, due to many of the island nations' founders migrating there from other areas, such as Tahiti.

Most Pacific jewellery is worn above the waist. Headdresses, necklaces, hair pins and arm and waist belts are the most common pieces amongst island cultures.

The styles and types of jewellery in the Pacific changes greatly from island to island, as does the purpose of wearing it. As in most cultures, jewellery in the Pacific is worn to symbolise the wearer's power, whether it be wealth or victory in battle. Jewellery in the Pacific, with the exception of Australia, is worn to be a symbol of either power, but in many cases across the Pacific, jewellery is worn to show fertility. As a prime example, the hei-tiki of the New Zealand Māori is said to be a sign of fertility. However, many historians suggest that the carved necklace has connections with Tiki, the first Māori, who also has strong ties with the symbolism of fertility. Historians also speculate that the reason the tiki is worn is that the Tiki is a product of the ancient belief of a god named Tiki. This supreme being is known to be ancient and not solely localised to the Māori, and is thought to date back to before the Māoris even settled in New Zealand.

Elaborate headdresses are worn by many Pacific cultures and some wear certain headdresses once they have killed an enemy in battle. The wearing of headdresses is particularly common in Papua New Guinea, where there are often many different types of headdress for different occasions. These headdresses are usually made out of vegetation, but designs often include birds of paradise feathers, including the highly sought-after King of Saxony feathers. The power associated with the headdresses in Papua New Guinea is phenomenal, perhaps stirred by the amount of work and craftsmanship that has gone into make such a feathered display.

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