PAPUA NEW GUINEA SHELL PECTORAL ORNAMENT, MENDI VALLEY

Ca. 20th century AD > A Papua New Guinea shell pectoral ornament of broad oval form, suspended from a fibre cord. The pale polished surface displays natural tonal variation and an attached vertical decorative element. Shell valuables circulated from coastal areas into the New Guinea Highlands, where they could be worn and exchanged in major social transactions. Their value lay in relationships as well as appearance: marriage payments and other exchanges helped create obligations, prestige and enduring links between communities. > For similar see: Sotheby's, The Blue Horizon: Pacific Art from an Important Maui Collection, 12 - 22 November 2021, lot 27. > Size: 370mm x 190mm; Weight: 345g > Provenance: Private London Collection; Ex. Private UK Collection. > This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter. >

Estimate:£500

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