From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Crescent-shaped pectoral ornament of Easter Island
An old
rei miro,
with human faces on each end. This is the inner side, which was once filled with chalk.
A
reimiro
is a crescent-shaped pectoral ornament once worn by the people of
Easter Island
. The name comes from the
Rapanui
rei
('
stern
' or '
prow
') and
miro
('boat'). Thus the crescent represents a
Polynesian canoe
.
Each side of the
reimiro
ended in a human face. The outer, display side had two small pierced bumps through which a cord was strung for hanging it. The inner side contained a cavity that was filled with chalk made from powdered seashells.
A
reimiro
provides the image of the
Flag of Rapa Nui
(Easter Island). It also appears to feature in the
rongorongo
script of Easter Island (as glyph 07:
), and
one
reimiro
is preserved with a long rongorongo text.
Although the human faces on the
reimiro
are unique to Easter Island, the pectoral itself is part of a wider tradition. In the
Solomon Islands
, for example, women wear shell pectorals which resemble
reimiro.
Gallery
[
edit
]
-
A
reimiro
is the emblem of the
Flag of Rapa Nui
.
-
A large (61 cm)
reimiro
with very stylized faces. It may be that pectorals of this size were worn by men.
-
A
reimiro
inscribed with rongorongo glyphs
-
A Solomon Islands woman wearing a shell pectoral resembling a
reimiro
References
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
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