Description
* Pair of earrings (Ha'akai), Marquesas Islands Marine ivory L. 4,5 cm Pair of earrings (Ha'akai), Marquesas Islands L. 1 3/4 in Provenance : - Galerie Valluet-Ferrandin The Ha'akai of the Marquesans were not only ornaments but also played a protective role in the religious domain. The ritual of piercing the earlobe with a special tool, the taa puaika, a particularly invasive operation given the diameter of the "spur" and the equipment needed to fix it, is a testament to this. The ornament, worn in such a way that the disc is visible at the front of the ear, is not, as one might have thought, the prerogative of men, some smaller models such as the pair represented here were probably reserved for women.
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* Pair of earrings (Ha'akai), Marquesas Islands Marine ivory L. 4,5 cm Pair of earrings (Ha'akai), Marquesas Islands L. 1 3/4 in Provenance : - Galerie Valluet-Ferrandin The Ha'akai of the Marquesans were not only ornaments but also played a protective role in the religious domain. The ritual of piercing the earlobe with a special tool, the taa puaika, a particularly invasive operation given the diameter of the "spur" and the equipment needed to fix it, is a testament to this. The ornament, worn in such a way that the disc is visible at the front of the ear, is not, as one might have thought, the prerogative of men, some smaller models such as the pair represented here were probably reserved for women.
