Aurei Whalebone Cloak Pin from Aotearoa
An Aurei whalebone cloak pin, Aotearoa, chiefly Aurei (marine ivory cloak pin). Aurei were fashioned from whalebone, whale teeth, greenstone and shell; whale teeth were the most prised. The term Au stems from the old Polynesian for needle and Rei refers to whale ivory from which the most prestigious were made (whilst 'Aurei' specifically names the whale teeth examples, it has become the colloquial term for all cloak pins). This fine and early example is presented in rich whale ivory with a deep aged patina. The suspension end is finely adorned with a softly carved humanoid tiki figure when held upside-down with the hourglass-hole forming the open mouth. Curving down the length of the body and terminating in a fine rounded point, this chiefly example is presented on a custom stand. Length 5.12 in., width 0.51 in., on stand height 6.57 in. Registered as Aurei whalebone cloak pin. Provenance: Private Collection, Aotearoa
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- Ivory - Ivory is a hard white material that comes from the tusks of elephants, mammoth, walrus and boar, or from the teeth of hippopotamus and whales. The ivory from the African elephant is the most prized source of ivory. Although the mammoth is extinct, tusks are still being unearthed in Russia and offered for sale.
Ivory has been used since the earliest times as a material for sculpture of small items, both in Europe and the east, principally China and Japan.
In Asia ivory has been carved for netsuke, seals, okimono, card cases, fan supports, animals and other figures and even as carved tusks.
In the last 200 years in Europe ivory has been used to carve figures, for elaborate tankards, snuff boxes, cane handles, embroidery and sewing accessories, in jewellery and as inlay on furniture. Its more practical uses include being used for billiard balls, buttons, and a veneers on the top of piano keys.
The use and trade of elephant ivory have become controversial because they have contributed to Due to the decline in elephant populations because of the trade in ivory, the Asian elephant was placed on Appendix One of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), in 1975, and in January 1990, the African elephant was similarly listed. Under Appendix One, international trade in Asian or African elephant ivory between member countries is forbidden. Unlike trade in elephant tusks, trade in mammoth tusks is legal.
Since the invention of plastics, there have been many attempts to create an artificial ivory - Patination / Patina - In broad terms, patination refers to the exterior surface appearance of the timber, the effect of fading caused by exposure to sunlight and air over the course of a century or more, changing the piece to a soft, mellow colour.
As patina is very difficult to replicate, it is one of the most important guides to determining the age of furniture.
Patina is also the term applied to the bloom or film found on old bronzes due to oxidisation.
This item has been included into following indexes:
- Maori artefacts
