the other islands in the group used human hair for a similar purpose.
If the valuable whale ivory and pearl shell were not available, wood was sometimes used for neck ornaments. Thus the Atiuans copied the whale ivory ball ornament in tamanu wood (fig. 60, d, e). Gill states (32, p. 337) that in lieu of the pearl-shell ornament a piece of miro wood was adzed into the shape of a shell. He states also that a woman of rank might wear a "miro" ornament.
Pearl-shell Breast Ornaments
Pearl-shell ornaments consisting of one valve of the shell with the hinge portion cut off were worn throughout the Cook Islands. The outer surface was ground down to remove the dark external color and reveal the pearly sheen beneath. The upper, cut edge was drilled with holes for lashing the shell to the neck band, which consisted of many folds of human hair braid. Cook (20, p. 173) speaking of a Mangaian says: "… The same person had two polished pearl-shells, and a bunch of human hair, loosely twisted, hanging about his neck, which was the only ornament we observed."
Pearl-shell ornaments were not observed by Cook's party in Atiu, but Gruning (34, p. 22) found "a small circular pearl-shell breast plate or pendant" in a burial cave in Atiu. Of Hervey Island (Manuae), Cook (20, p.210) says: "The shell of a pearl-oyster polished, and hung about the neck, was the only ornamental fashion that we observed amongst them; …"
The pearl oyster was not found in the waters around the volcanic islands of the Cook group, so the shells from which the ornaments were made must have been obtained by trade or as gifts from other islands. Williams (81, p. 90) tempted the Mangaians to come on board his schooner by holding up knives and pearl shells. The fact that he brought pearl shells from Tahiti as page 118articles of trade, shows that the lack of the pearl oyster in the Cook Islands was, known in the northern islands. The only pearl-shell ornaments of the Cook group that I have seen, come from Mangaia, but one of doubtful age is reported from Aitutaki. They were known throughout the group as ti'a.
Pearl-shell Ornaments (Mangaia)
Figure 63.—Pearl-shell breast ornament (British Mus., 9945): a, front view with inner surface of pearl shell (1); hinge part cut off straight and drilled with four holes near edge; height, 125 mm.; greatest width, 144 mm.; width at upper edge, 84 mm.; continuous coils of human-hair braid (2) 2 mm. wide; coil flattened out and each end tied with a few turns of cord (3); length of coil 530 mm.; middle part compressed together for lashing to shell, thickness from below upward 26 mm. and from front to back 23 mm.; lashing of flat sennit (4); sennit very fine (2 mm. wide); for lashing technique see figure 64. b, back of ornament.
Another type of pearl-shell breast ornament (fig. 65, a) in the British Museum (no. S.871) is attributed to Tahiti. What appears to be the same ornament was figured by Edge-Partington (24, I-44-1), who attributed it to the Marquesas and then, in his "Additional Notes" in the same volume, changed the locality to Hervey Islands after reading Gill (32, p. 337). Gill, however, merely stated that the Mangaians wore pearl-shell ornaments attached to a coil of human hair and did not describe any technique that would aid in identifying the ornaments as belonging to any particular group page 119of islands. As pearl-shell ornaments attached to human hair coils were made in Tahiti and the Marquesas, there is no proof from Gill's statement that this ornament belongs to the Hervey Islands. The shell is cut farther away from the hinge than in the preceding ornament (no. 9945), hence is much wider across the top edge. The greater width provided space for 13 suspension holes below the edge.
Figure 64.—Lashing technique on pearl-shell ornament: a, hair coil (12) placed against hinge edge of shell; lashing material consists of fine flat sennit 2 mm. wide; lashing commences on left, the sennit being probably fixed around coil with a running noose, but commencement concealed by subsequent turns. Technique consisted of courses of spiral tu