Often worn as a sign of dignity and worth, the pectoral was a pendant commonly seen on Maori chiefs or other highborn individuals - particularly warriors and hunters. It's still a pendant-form that sees a lot of appreciation in the modern day, though most pectorals produced nowadays tend to be somewhat scaled down in size. Not this piece! This pectoral is long enough to sit across the entirety of the upper chest - a piece that simply can't be ignored.
 
Measuring in at 130mm long and 37mm deep at its deepest point, this pectoral is carved from a beautifully pale kokopu that has taken a high gloss to the point of positively gleaming. Despite its size, its twin suspensions balance its weight sufficiently to make it relatively light and quite comfortable to wear. A definite attention-getter, and a beautiful piece to hand down in later years.