question about marquesas head dress pa'e kaha

I've been doing some research [plus got to see for real in the recent UK exhibtions] on the marquesas head dress - pa'e kaha [see above].

I'm trying to find out how these were worn?

Some period drawings show the head dress worn as above, with the woven head band at the top and the black and white elements pointing down. But drawings from the time of Cook's voyages have been know to be not 100% correct.

In a practical sense this seems to be the best way to wear the head dress, BUT the tiki's on the shell elements would appear upside down. I can't seem to find much reference of upside down tikis in other marquesas art.

Can anyone help?

Good question.
Here is what I can read from "adorning the world - art of the marquesas island" :
" there is some debate about whether Pa'e Haka were worn with the panels facing down, like a visor, or standing upright, like a crown. In nineteenth century illustration they are shown with the panels down. But in his journal, Crook described the pannels as "joined lenghtways, and fastened upright upon a bandage (sic) of coconut fibers to be tied round the head"."

So who knows, but I'm guessing like a visor, for the sun. But then, in the 35's century, when they will ask on rap central : "what was the way of wearing a baseball cap", what will they answer ??!!

and I've seen tikis in both ways. I think they wore it the way they wanted.

Hi Virani

Thanks for the info, I want to use the head dress for an image with it worn shell side up, more like a crown. Just don't want to get it wrong.

Although nothing could be more wrong than the thought of rap central!!

Made me laugh!

Hope to see you soon.

This is something I've given some thought to as well, with the upside down theory seeming to contradict the normal conventions of Marquesan art. The design doesn't seem to suggest anything else than being worn with the figures upright. Here's what I could find...

From "Pacific Jewellery and Adornment":

These crowns are said to be properly worn with the shell plates flaring down the forehead and over the eyes, actually presenting the tiki figures upside-down.

From "Arts of the South Seas":

Worn with the strips of turtle shell and white marine shell facing downward.

but then..."Oceanic Art" says:

Intriguingly, all the written descriptions and illustrations of paekaha made at the time of first contact record the crown as being worn upside down, with the plates of turtle and giant clam shell hanging down to eye-level.This meant that the carved tiki figures on the turtle-shell were also upside down. The problem is that paekaha were simply not made to be worn that way!
The conception and construction of the paekaha show that it was originally designed to be worn with the plaques upright, flaring out like a crown and with the tiki standing upright in their normal position. It may be that the Marquesans wore it upside down in imitation of the down-turned cap or hat worn by European sailors. Paekaha seem to have originated in Fatu Hiva and initially to have been limited to the southern Marquesas islands of Hiva Oa, Tau Ata and Fatu Hiva itself. In the post-contact period they began to be traded to the northern Maquesas, and it is at this point that people may have inadvertently started wearing them the wrong way up.

*On 2007-02-12 10:38, virani wrote:*So who knows, but I'm guessing like a visor, for the sun. But then, in the 35th century, when they will ask on rap central : "what was the way of wearing a baseball cap", what will they answer ??!!
That's actually a brilliant analogy, Virani! Ball caps were meant to do one thing and were worn accordingly, and as they moved from one group to the next (from Southern Marquesans to the Northern, ball players to, uh, playahs), they were worn differently. And accounts exist of both hats' being worn both ways by each group.

Anybody ever read the treatise on the Nakerima of North America :wink: ?

Formikashnizzle

On 2007-02-12 12:52, Paipo wrote:
The design doesn't seem to suggest anything else than being worn with the figures upright.

yes, but I've seen 1 with the figures going in both directions...

I saw the upside-down engraving in "Adorning The World", and my theory on the spot was that this was purely practical....right side up on a normal day, but upside down on a very sunny and bright day, creating shade for your eyes. I believe you have to think like an indigenous Marquesan, and in many of these adornments form followed function.

So I'm with Virani on that one. :)

It looks like the same style as a tahitian headdress that has feathers. In which case the tikis would be up in the air and the grass band would be around the forehead

Mahalo all for the info and thoughts.

Looks like the facts are unsure enough for me to do what a want. Horray!

Have a great weekend.

I heard it argued both ways in different books.

For what it's worth here is a blurry (sorry) picture of one displayed downward at the Chicago Field Musuem

JP