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Oceania · c. 1000 – today

Hei-tiki

Meaning

A hei-tiki is a greenstone pendant of a human figure with a large head tilted to one side and hands on the thighs. Its meaning is debated: it may be the first man Tiki, an ancestor, or an embryo linked with Hineteiwaiwa, goddess of childbirth.

Intent

It was worn by men and women of rank, especially women for fertility, and passed down through families as a taonga carrying the mana of each ancestor who wore it. Sometimes it was buried with its owner and later recovered.

Significance

The hei-tiki is a symbol of Māori identity and of Aotearoa New Zealand. Famous named heirlooms carry their own histories, and pounamu has a special legal status under the Ngāi Tahu settlement (1997).

History

Hei-tiki were made from about the 14th–15th centuries, with most surviving examples from the 18th and 19th centuries. The tradition revived strongly in the late 20th century.

Making yours
5–15 cm. Grind nephrite or pounamu with sandstone, then add paua-shell eye rings and a flax cord with a bird-bone toggle.
Oceania: the tradition

Across Polynesia, power resided in mana, a sacred force that flowed from ancestors and gods and could be held in objects, especially those passed down through generations. Māori pounamu (greenstone) taonga (treasures) accumulated mana with each wearer. Hawaiian chiefs wore whale-ivory and human-hair lei niho palaoa as signs of divine rank. In Melanesia, charms for love, canoe voyages, war and gardens were made by specialists and kept secret. Many Pacific taonga were taken by collectors, and New Zealand and Hawaiian institutions now lead efforts to bring them home.

See all 49, save the ones that feel rightAsk about having one made
Neck Pendant (Hei-tiki)Neck Pendant (Hei-tiki)Pacific Islands, Polynesia, New Zealand, Māori people · 1800sPendant (Hei-tiki)Pendant (Hei-tiki)Polynesia, New Zealand, Maori people, 19th century · 1800sCharmsCharmsWorld War 1, 1914-18-wars; (1914-1918)CharmsCharmsWorld War 1, 1914-18-wars; (1914-1918)Pendanr (hei-tiki) (image 2 of 2)Pendanr (hei-tiki) (image 2 of 2)Circa 18th centuryPendant,1984.205,60016Pendant,1984.205,60016CharmsCharmsWorld War 1, 1914-18-wars; (1914-1918)Pendant (hei-tiki) (image 1 of 2)Pendant (hei-tiki) (image 1 of 2)Circa 18th centuryCharmsCharmsWorld War 1, 1914-18-wars; (1914-1918)Aperahama of ManaiaAperahama of ManaiaAuckland War Memorial Museum, Pounamu object 2016-01-21-2Auckland War Memorial Museum, Pounamu object 2016-01-21-2Jacinda Ardern - Waitangi 2022 (cropped) (2)Jacinda Ardern - Waitangi 2022 (cropped) (2)Maori, hei tiki antropomorfo, periodote puawaitanga, XVI-XVIII secoloMaori, hei tiki antropomorfo, periodote puawaitanga, XVI-XVIII secoloMākereti Papakura, 1908 - (unknown photographer) (4585763974)Mākereti Papakura, 1908 - (unknown photographer) (4585763974)Neck ornament (Heitiki)Neck ornament (Heitiki)Nuova zelanda, maori, tikiNuova zelanda, maori, tikiPendant,1984.205,60016, (d)Pendant,1984.205,60016, (d)Auckland War Memorial Museum, Pounamu object 2016-01-21-4Auckland War Memorial Museum, Pounamu object 2016-01-21-4Hei-tiki at BMHei-tiki at BMKENT-00B265. Lead figurine. Reverse.KENT-00B265. Lead figurine. Reverse.Hei TikiHei TikiHeitiki01Heitiki01MAP Expo Maori Hei tiki 15 01 2012 2MAP Expo Maori Hei tiki 15 01 2012 2Nuova zelanda, maori, pendente da collare hei tiki, nefrite, osso, fibre vegetali, 1800-20 caNuova zelanda, maori, pendente da collare hei tiki, nefrite, osso, fibre vegetali, 1800-20 caPania of the Reef Statue Napier New ZealandPania of the Reef Statue Napier New ZealandRSNZ honours 2024 WellingtonRSNZ honours 2024 WellingtonTiki - VAITAPE, BORA BORA 30.08.24Tiki - VAITAPE, BORA BORA 30.08.24Auckland War Memorial Museum, Pounamu object 2016-01-21-3Auckland War Memorial Museum, Pounamu object 2016-01-21-3Handbook to the ethnographical collections (1910) (14781004924)Handbook to the ethnographical collections (1910) (14781004924)KENT-00B265. Lead figurine. Front.KENT-00B265. Lead figurine. Front.Libby Hakaraia MNZM investitureLibby Hakaraia MNZM investitureMaori Treasure Box and Pendants in the Horniman MuseumMaori Treasure Box and Pendants in the Horniman MuseumMāori woman holding protest banner Waitangi Day 2024 WellingtonMāori woman holding protest banner Waitangi Day 2024 WellingtonNeck ornaments, New ZealandNeck ornaments, New ZealandNuova zelanda, ngapuhi, amuleto hei tiki, in dente di capodoglio, da bay of islands, xix secoloNuova zelanda, ngapuhi, amuleto hei tiki, in dente di capodoglio, da bay of islands, xix secoloTe Paea Hinerangi, by Gottfried LindauerTe Paea Hinerangi, by Gottfried LindauerAmulet (hei tiki), Maori people, Honolulu Museum of Art, 12762Amulet (hei tiki), Maori people, Honolulu Museum of Art, 12762Amulet (hei tiki), Maori people, Honolulu Museum of Art, 3348Amulet (hei tiki), Maori people, Honolulu Museum of Art, 3348Art maori (musée du Quai Branly) (6218226076) croppedArt maori (musée du Quai Branly) (6218226076) croppedHei Tiki Schmuck Anhänger aus neuseeländischer Jade WikipediaHei Tiki Schmuck Anhänger aus neuseeländischer Jade WikipediaHeitiki17cmHeitiki17cmJacinda Ardern - Waitangi 2022 (cropped)Jacinda Ardern - Waitangi 2022 (cropped)Nuova zelanda, maori, pendente hei tiki, in giada nefrite, aotearoa xix secoloNuova zelanda, maori, pendente hei tiki, in giada nefrite, aotearoa xix secoloPendant,1984.205,60016, (c)Pendant,1984.205,60016, (c)The Rev Thomas Kendall and the Maori chiefs Hongi and Waikato, oil on canvas by James BarryThe Rev Thomas Kendall and the Maori chiefs Hongi and Waikato, oil on canvas by James BarryAuckland War Memorial Museum, Pounamu object 2016-01Auckland War Memorial Museum, Pounamu object 2016-01MAP Expo Maori Hei tiki 15 01 2012 1MAP Expo Maori Hei tiki 15 01 2012 1Nuova zelanda, amuleto antropomorfo hei tiki, in nefrite, conchiglia e resina, dal monte egmont, xix secoloNuova zelanda, amuleto antropomorfo hei tiki, in nefrite, conchiglia e resina, dal monte egmont, xix secoloTikiTiki

More from Oceania: Hei-matau & Māori pendants · Lei niho palaoa · Melanesian & Pacific charms
Every type in the gallery

Anything in the gallery can be made, by hand, in the prescribed metal or yours and, where the tradition names an hour, at that hour or with a plain note that it was not. Numbered. Price on commission, quoted first. I reply within one business day.