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Overview
Pekapeka are pendants usually worn around the neck, though occasionally suspended from the ear. This example is made from pounamu (New Zealand greenstone).
Bat-like
Pekapeka are named after the small native New Zealand bat (Chalinolobus morio), which they might be said to resemble in appearance. The pekapeka form fuses together two opposing manaia (stylised beaked figures) heads into a single form.
A rare form
Like their reclusive native namesakes, pekapeka pendants are rare relative to hei tiki (neck pendants), which exist in museum collections in large numbers.