lei (necklace)

Construction

This is a lei made from tiny plastic ribbon squares of yellow and green. Each square is joined by a single pink-coloured bead.

Significance

The gifting of leis in Niue and the wider Pacific is a common occurance.  Leis are often seen gifted from one to another or worn as adornment by Pacific people.  With the changing nature and location of Pacific populations in an ever globalising world, so too does the lei and its form.  Once made solely from locally sourced materials, migration and trade and exchange have made materials such as plastic disposable to lei makers, as in the case of this object.

Acquisition History

This object was purchased by Te Papa Pacific Cultures staff at the 2013 Pasifika Festival held in Auckland City, New Zealand.