Rare feather currency roll "manahau" or "tevau"
Description
feathers of the grey pigeon and red feathers of the honey sucker bird were fixed on small platelets using sap from the paper mulberry tree as glue, the platelets were then bound to two fibre cords, overlapping them so that only the red feathers showed, finally the bands were rolled up from either end so that a double roll evolves, on bark core, strings with Job’s tears and seeds attached, traces of old age, red feathers missing in parts, acrylic base;
the original value of a new piece of feather currency was determined by its size and the richness of colour. Feathers from about three hundred honey sucker birds were used for each band, and the average length involved five to six hundred hours of work.
Red feathers in Polynesia were an insignia of rank and divinity. The red-feathered roll “manahau” was a valuable currency object, used for important financial transactions, such as the purchase of canoes, turtle shell, or pigs and compensation for capital offenses. Traditional use of the feather roll as bride price continued until the 1970s. Men wishing to marry would usually be required to compensate the bride’s father with ten rolls. Feather rolls were already scarce in 1911. In 1962 there were only found five makers in operation and in 1967 only two were left. Today the manufacture of feather rolls has completely ceased.