Hei-tiki

This hei-tiki is among the oldest Maori objects in the Collection. It was given to the explorer Captain James Cook by Maori at Queen Charlotte Sound in South Island in 1769 during his first voyage to the Pacific. On Cook's return in 1771, he was granted a one-hour audience with George III (1738–1820), who had personally sponsored the expedition. It was probably at this meeting that Cook presented the King with the precious ornament.

Hei-tiki are carved human figures worn suspended around the neck. This example is made from nephrite but others can be found in bone, wood and whale ivory, sometimes with haliotis shell eyes. The name 'tiki' is possibly connected to Tiki, the first man created by Tane in Maori mythology. Although their origin is unclear, hei-tiki have variously been understood as fertility symbols, representations of the human embryo and spirit figures. Among Maori they are exchanged as gifts and inherited by successive generations, giving them status as ancestral treasures (taonga).