428 .Memoirs Bcniicc P. Bisliop Musciun 



orated with a series of closely spaced notches which in one specimen (PI. [..\x\iii, B) gives 

 the edge of the shell a toothed appearance. Along the upper margin two or more holes for 

 suspension were made. Shell plaques of this sort seem to have been intended primarily for 

 wear with the necklaces of plaited hair. 



Plaques grotuid from the large end of a species of Conits shell were also 

 used as breast ornaments, but they seem to have been much less common than 

 those of pearl shell. 



These plaques were smoothly ground on both sides, the marks of the whorls being 

 almost obliterated. A hole for suspension was drilled near one edge ; a few plaques have two 

 holes, drilled opposite each other. These plaques appear to have been worn suspended from 

 necklaces, but no complete specimens were seen. Their occurrence in the Marqviesas is of con- 

 siderable ethnological interest as such ornaments are rare or lacking in other parts of Poly- 

 nesia but are highly developed in Micronesia. 



Two curious objects of featherwork, one in the Peabody Museum at Salem, 

 the other in the Peabody ^Museum at Cambridge, are probably to be classed as 

 gorgets. (See PI. Lxxxviii, C, i.) 



These gorgets are made from glossy black cocks' feathers cut to length, those on the 

 upper edge being quite short and those on the lower edge measuring three inches or more. The 

 feathers are laid on in regular overlapping tiers, beginning at one end of the crescent. The 

 exact method of attachment could not be determined, but the feathers seem to have been pasted 

 to a pad of tapa or other soft material in rows and further reinforced by single strands of 

 banana fiber wrapped around the base of each row. The suspension cords are of plaited fan 

 bark. The attachment of the cord at one end is covered by the natural slope of the feathers ; 

 the other end is concealed by a sleeve of fine sennit decorated with human hair cord applied 

 in a wrap weave. At the bottom of this sleeve are traces of a band of green and yellow 

 feathers. The dimensions are: length across tips, 93X inches: maximum width, 2 '4 inches; 

 thickness, 1 34 inches. 



An (irnament of large seeds, now in the Peabody Aluseum at Cambridge, 

 should prol)ably I)e classed as a gorget, although its construction suggests that of 

 the hair ornaments. The seeds are black and as large as grapes. They are per- 

 forated at the stem end and attached to cords of twisted coconut fiber bv the 

 method used for seed armlets. Thev differ, however, in having two seeds at- 

 tached side by side to the end of each strand. These strands are attached to 

 a band identical with that used in hair ornaments. To either end of this band 

 are fastened long cords of twisted fan bark. 



The most characteristic of the Marquesan breast ornaments are the large 

 collars, or gorgets, made from light wood and encrusted with the seeds of the 

 Abrus prccatorius. One of relativelv simple form is shown on Plate lxxviii, 

 C . 2. The base of this ornament is a crescent of soft light wood, cut in a single 

 piece. One side of this crescent was coated with soft breadfruit gum, then cov- 

 ered with the shiny red and black Abrus seeds. Along either side of the en- 

 crusted space are glued fiat ribbons ])laited from strings of white tapa and 

 blackened fati bark. The ends of these ribbons are plaited together to form the 



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