Whale Tooth Pendants

While examples of these pendants are found only rarely in East Polynesia, early New Zealand examples abound especially in the Wairau Bar Burials (Duff 1956) where entire necklaces have been recovered. Duff gives a thorough description of the New Zealand examples many of which appear to be of evolved forms resulting from stylistic elaboration.

The term 'whale-tooth" pendants is here given to the units of the second Moa-Hunter necklace type. These handsome necklaces comprise a number of carefully shaped units, more often of bone than of ivory.

It seems to me that the first separation of these artifacts into Classes, Types or Varieties could be made in discerning authentic Whale-tooth pendants from imitations made of other materials. The next sorting being given to shaped or unshaped for the authentic specimens as well as the actual species of whale from which the tooth derives. As for the imitation examples certainly shape and size will bear heavily on classification schemes. Also I think it likely that the specific shapes and stylistic transformations found within these artifacts will allow researchers to establish a relative chronology for the given types. One might first want to ask how far back does the tradition of these ornaments go?
xxxxTo move on now to the Tubuai specimen (see Diagram 26.1) this is an imitation whale-tooth pendant made of bone which is now in a somewhat deteriorated condition. The distal point has broken off as well as part of the flat proximal 'poll' (Duff). There is no evidence of a chin or breast as in the evolved New Zealand examples. A rounded oval or slightly lenticular cross section with each side convex longitudinally make front and back distinctions difficult although one side is slightly flatter. The scanned image in Diagram 26.1 is then of the flatter possibly back surface as well as the right side (in fact there is no distinct side between the back and front). The perforation of this side is clearly visible whereas on the left side the upper part of the drilled poll has broken away and only a groove remains as an indication of drilling on this side. This groove is funnel shaped as is also the drilled hole in the right side allowing only a small opening for eventual threading. In comparing the shape of this imitation whale-tooth with authentic examples (which also may have been shaped) the Tubuai specimen appears to be generally less convex however this may be largely due to the constraints of the shape of the bone from which it was carved (rather than by intention) otherwise we see a rather long thin form which may have some chronological importance.

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