ment in Atiu. In Easter Island, the breast ornament made of miro wood was termed rei but was qualified by the material, rei miro.
The term rei as applied to the New Zealand ornament does not carry the idea of a phallic ornament. Modern native informants have a tendency to designate objects as phallic because they know that will intrigue European inquirers. The phallic nature of the Atiu ornament is further stressed by the statement that it was worn around the waist. That the ornaments were worn around the neck is amply proved by Cook (20, pp. 194, 195), who says of the Atiuans: "Some, who were of a superior class, and also the Chiefs, had two little balls, with a common base, made from the bone of some animal, which hung, round the neck, with a great many folds of small cord."
The use of these artifacts as neck ornaments is conclusively proved by Gruning (34, p. 22, pl. 17), who found such a necklace in a burial cave in Atiu. The specimen consisted of many folds of "finely plaited human hair" from which a ball ornament was suspended (fig. 61, a). A smaller ball ornament was found in the same cave. Both were made of whale tooth and both were deeply discolored. Gruning was not aware of similar ornaments from Mangaia, hence he regarded the Atiu ornaments as due to independent evolution.page 116
The method of suspension in Atiu necklaces differs from that of the Mangaian necklaces with similar ball ornaments, but it resembles in principle that used for the Mangaian pearl-shell breast plates. There appear to have been a number of these ornaments in Atiu, and it is probable that they conferred no greater sexual license than did the ear ornaments and necklaces of Mangaia. It is certain that the ball motif was shared by Atiu and Mangaia in pre-European times. The motif was evidently diffused from one island to the other, but I cannot say which was the island of origin.
Figure 61.—Atiu neck ornament from Gruning collection (after Gruning): a, whale tooth ornament (1) shaped into two balls "not more than about two inches across", connected by an upper circular lug with constricted neck around which human hair braid (?) is tied for suspension to some turns (2) of braid tied around middle of coil of many folds of finely plaited human hair of which part on right (3) was preserved but left half (4) "of hair cords completely fell away on removal" from cave site; end of left coil evidently tied with turns of similar material. b, smaller ball ornament showing upper circular lug with constricted neck; deeply discolored and showing commencement of surface decay.
Cylindrical Ivory Beads (Atiu)
A set of eight whale ivory beads (fig. 62) was discovered by Gruning (34, pp. 22, 25, pl. 17) in another burial place in Atiu. Seven are cylindrical and one spherical. The cylindrical beads are somewhat barrel-shaped with a greater diameter in the middle than at the ends which are flanged. All are pierced for threading on a string, the cylindrical ones being drilled longitudinally. No other beads of this form have been recorded from the Cook Islands, but a number have been collected elsewhere. The long even holes differ from the funnel-shaped holes formed by native Polynesian drills. The question of diffusion and foreign technique requires investigation.
Human Hair Necklaces (Mangaia)
Fine braid of human hair about 2 mm. wide is termed manoa, and, according to Gill (32, p. 337), the quantity of hair indicated the rank of the wearer. The braid was wound in long loops, and the ends of the combined loops were tied with a cord, usually of bast, to fasten the braid around the neck. To the middle of the hair loop, some ornament was usually attached. These necklaces were worn by men, but an exception was made for the favorite daughter of a chief. Mangaian specimens of human hair necklaces with pearl shells attached are found in various museums. Cook (20, p. 195) states that the Atiuans wore their bone ornaments hung around the neck with a great many folds of small cord (fig. 61, a). It is probable that the "small cord" consisted of human hair braid and that 