Necklace, Papua New Guinea
Price on request
Presented by
M7Tags
About the work
c. 20th century, Papua New Guinea. Qatar Museums / National Collection of Qatar, Doha. This imposing bib necklace is built around nine graduated plaques of Melo melo shell and a row of cowrie shells sewn around the fibre neckline. In Oceania cowries were commonly used as currency, while large shells such as the Melo melo require great skill to shape and, once transformed into adornment, communicate status. Likely a ceremonial object of great prestige, its pinkish plaques recall the flame effect of the rare pearl produced by the same mollusc. Shown in Around the World in Jewellery at M7, Doha.
