VINTAGE HEI TIKI NEPHRITE JADE HAND SCULPTED ETHNIC HEIRLOOM FROM THE U.K.

Description

VINTAGE THE MAORI GREENSTONE [ THIS ONE IS NEPHRITE JADE ] SPIRITUAL LADEN '' HEI TIKI ' PENDANT BEAD OBTAINED FROM A U.K. COLLECTION. EBAY HAS BEEN PROLIFERATED WITH COUNTERFEIT AND PHONY BEADS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. THE PUMTEKMAN OFFERS ONLY AUTHENTIC BEADS ON HIS EBAY SITE. BEADS SUCH AS THIS ONE ARE RARE AND WHEN YOU STUDY THE PHOTOS YOU WILL RECOGNIZE WHAT QUALITIES CONSTITUTE AN AUTHENTIC BEAD, SO STUDY AWAY !!! SCHOLARSHIP IS REQUIRED WHEN YOU PARTICIPATE IN THE HOBBY OF HEI TIKI BEAD COLLECTING. [ I HAVE A VERY LARGE BOOK COLLECTION ON HEI TIKI FABRICATION, MUSEUM ACQUISTIONS, CULTURAL HISTORY, ETC. THE PUMTEKMAN STARTING COLLECTING THESE BEADS IN THE 1990'S IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA. HAVE FUN WITH THIS AUCTION AS IT IS THE ONLY HEI TIKI IN THE WORLD INVOLVED IN A 99 CENT AUCTION START. PLEASE NOTE THE JADE WEAR ON THE BACK IS CIRCA 1950 AS WELL AS THE SLICE CUT FINGER SEPARATIONS, LEG AND ARM DEMARCATIONS AND THE SHALLOW FACIAL RELIEF. I HAVE BEEN STUDYING THESE HEI TIKIS FOR MANY YEARS AND I MAY HAVE THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF THEM IN THE DOMESTIC UNITED STATES. TIME TO SHARE THEIR WONDER AND PLACE IN HISTORY. EACH TIME I LIST ONE I WILL PROVIDE DETAILS ABOUT THESE FABULOUS BEAD PENDANTS. FIRST OF ALL, THERE ARE NO ANCIENT HEI TIKIS. SECONDLY GREEN STONE MINING AND ART FORMS WERE TAKEN SO SERIOUSLY IN NEW ZEALAND THAT THE GOVERNMENT OUTLAWED EXPORTING THE PRECIOUS JADE AND JADE RELATED STONES BY 1947. SO PRECIOUS TO THE RUGGED MAORI, THE GREEN STONE RUSH WAS MORE FRENZIED THAN THE GOLD RUSH WHICH TOOK PLACE IN THE LATE 1800'S. THE FIRST HEI TIKIS MENTIONED IN LITERATURE WAS BY CAPTAIN COOKE IN 1745. ON THIS VINTAGE PIECE YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THE ELECTRICAL ROTARY TRACKS ON THE SCULPTING. FINAL NOTE ON THIS AUCTION, A HEI TIKI SHOULD HAVE A TWISTED HEAD WITH NO NECK AS THIS MAKES FOR AN EASIER CARVING WHERE YOU CAN GET THE WHOLE BODY MOTIF CENTERED IN A SMALLER CENTRAL AREA. [ SAVE ON  AMOUNT OF THE JADE MATERIAL USED IN THE SCULPTURE ]. SINCE YOU CAN SEE ROTARY MARKS ON THIS BEAD WE KNOW THIS WAS MADE FOR THE TOURIST TRADE IN THE 1950'S [ APPRX. ]. SIZE IS 39.7 BY 25.6 MM WITH A THICKNESS OF 2.8 MM. THIS PENDANT HAS A NICE LUSTRE. THIS PENDANT WAS OBTAINED IN AN ESTATE SALE FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM WHICH IN THE PAST HELD NEW ZEALAND AS ONE OF IT'S COLONIAL TERRITORIES.