Lei niho palaoa

A lei niho palaoa is a Hawaiian neck ornament traditionally worn by aliʻi (chiefs) of both sexes.

The 19th century examples are most commonly made of a whale tooth carved into a hook-shape suspended by plaited human hair.

[1] Precontact lei niho palaoa were less than two inches in length, and were not only made of whale ivory, but also of shell, bone, wood, stone, and coral.

[3] The Bishop Museum has a lei niho palaoa with a hair bundle having a circumference of 7.5 inches.

It is made from a single eight-ply square braid cord, measuring 1,708 feet, looped back and forth over 1000 times on each side.