Overview
Wāseisei (necklaces) were fashioned from whale teeth that had been split. They were thought to have been made for Fijian chiefs by Tongan canoe builders visiting Fiji, or by Samoan and Tongan canoe builders living there.
During the early 1800s, the shape of the teeth in wāseisei changed from short and thick to long and fine. This style was influenced by the introduction of metal tools, and the greater availability of sperm whale teeth through European whaling traders. This wāseisei has 26 teeth.