Headdress (Pa'e Kaha)

Unknown

mid to late 19th century · Shell, turtleshell, fiber · Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas

For important occasions, Marquesans wore a variety of headdresses (pa'e). Among the most striking are the pa'e kaha, which consist of a band of woven coconut husk fiber adorned with alternating plaques of carved turtle shell and white shell. Worn primarily by chiefs, warriors, and male dancers, pa'e kaha were owned by families rather than individuals. The turtle-shell plaques were artificially shaped by heating and then bending them into the desired form. They are typically adorned with tiki (human images) and geometric designs in low relief. Early Western illustrations typically show pa'e kaha worn, as here, with the plaques curving downward but it is possible that they were worn with the panels upright, like a crown.

Artist

Unknown

Date

mid to late 19th century

Medium

Shell, turtleshell, fiber

Culture

Marquesan (Enata) people

Department

Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas

Credit line

The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Bequest of Nelson A. Rockefeller, 1979