Descriptions

Lei is the Tongan word to describe a decorative ornament that consists of several objects strung together. This is a very old style of beaded lei that is no longer seen made or worn today but would have originally been made as a gift for a person to wear. It consists of cylindrical disks of trochus or clam shell and what appears to be black coral all strung on coconut fibre thread.

On 6 September 2022 RAMM hosted ten internationally renowned writers, poets and spoken word artists as part of a partnership with the Museum of Colour. The Museum of Colour is a digital museum that explores the contribution made by People of Colour to the nation’s culture, specifically in film, television and the arts. Mona Arshi, Victoria Adukwei Bulley, Fred D'Aguiar, Jennifer Lee Tsai, Adam Lowe, Shivanee Ramlochan, Jacob Sam-La Rose, John Siddique, Yomi Sode and Yusra Warsama performed specially written pieces, influenced and inspired by objects in the collections at RAMM accompanied by live music from composer Randolph Matthews. The event is part of Museum of Colour's exhibition 'My Words', celebrating the legacy of poets of Colour in Britain over 250 years. Yomi Sode wrote a poem in response to this necklace https://museumofcolour.org.uk/my-words/response-gallery/yomi-sode?piece=10

This object is on display at RAMM in the World Cultures gallery.