. Women of all nations, a record of their characteristics, habits, manners, customs and influence; . nly difference between thedress of men and women lay in the fact that in the case of the formerthis upper mat was fastened on the rightshoulder ; in the case of the latter on theleft {see p. 71). Children dispensed withclothing altogether until about eight yearsof age. The hair of women was left to grow long(p. 72), though girls used to cut thelocks on the forehead in a fringe levelwith the eyebrows (see p. 71) ; those ofhigh rank often wore two of the tailfeathers of the Huia bird in their dus
. Women of all nations, a record of their characteristics, habits, manners, customs and influence; . nly difference between thedress of men and women lay in the fact that in the case of the formerthis upper mat was fastened on the rightshoulder ; in the case of the latter on theleft {see p. 71). Children dispensed withclothing altogether until about eight yearsof age. The hair of women was left to grow long(p. 72), though girls used to cut thelocks on the forehead in a fringe levelwith the eyebrows (see p. 71) ; those ofhigh rank often wore two of the tailfeathers of the Huia bird in their duskytresses. Such feathers were greatly prized,and were kept stored in finely-carvedwooden caskets, of which specimens canbe seen in most museums. The ears were pierced, and a great varietyof ornaments worn in them, of which themost valued were those ofjade {see p. 72), owing to theenormous time and labour expended in thepreparation of a single specimen. Jade isone of the hardest stones known, and it mustbe remembered that the Maori possessed nometals imtil the arrival of the Europeans. ritolosrapk by iftiir &• .ifw^U, DuncJtn. NATIVE FOOD STORE. 76 WOMEN OF ALL NATIONS Tiki. Other objects so worn were the down ofthe albatross and gannet, the wings ofsmaller birds, sharks teeth, flowers, andthe teeth of husbands or valued friends orrelations. Perhaps the ornament most characteristicof the Maori is the jade pendant known asTiki, which was worn round theneck. These Tiki were grotesquehuman figures of a prescribed and somewhatconventional pattern, and were beautifullyworked and polished (sec p. 79). Each oneof them must have taken literally years ofpatient toil to produce. They were regarded as heirlooms, andwere passed from father to son, and thesentimental value attached to them wasenormous ; though usually worn by men,they were frequently seen on the necks offemales, especially heiresses or those ofchiefly rank. The Tiki was suspended roundthe neck by a cord of wove
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookidwomenofa, booksubjectwomen
