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1920.100.389

Breast ornament of tridacna shell overlaid with turtleshell bird design, with plaited plant fibre string and string of shell disc beads. [El.B 'DCF 2004-2006 What's Upstairs?' 28/9/2005]

On display

1920.100.389

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Collection type
Object
Description
Breast ornament of tridacna shell overlaid with turtleshell bird design, with plaited plant fibre string and string of shell disc beads. [El.B 'DCF 2004-2006 What's Upstairs?' 28/9/2005]
Geographical reference
Solomon Islands
Oceania > Melanesia > Solomon Islands
Santa Cruz Islands
Person
Field collector Robert Henry Codrington
Field collector Melanesian Mission
PRM source Robert Henry Codrington
Date / Period
Date made: Before 1888
Date collected
By 1888
Acquisition information
Donated: 1920
Materials and processes
Material Tridacna Clam Shell, Material Turtleshell Reptile, Material Plant Fibre, Material Shell, Material Bead, Process Plaited, Process Strung, Process Carved, Process Perforated, Process Knotted
Dimensions
Diameter: max 120 mm pendant, Length: max 350 mm with string
Object numbers
Accession number: 1920.100.389
Research and responses

Related Documents File - Letter from Codrington to Balfour, dated 13 July 1916 giving information regarding objects from San Cristoval, the Torres Islands and the Banks Islands, as well as plans for setting up a Museum at his former school. [See file for full text.] [MOB 15/11/2001]

Associated publications
Reference: Objects as insights : R. H. Codrington's ethnographic collections from Melanesia., Main author: Nick Stanley.; London, 2021, Page: 39, Page illustrated: 39, Notes: Breast ornament of tridacna shell overlaid with turtle shell vird design with plaited plant-fibre string of shell-disc beads, Santa Cruz
This object was featured in the Museum's audio guide produced during the DCF-funded 'What's Upstairs?' project, 2004–2006. [BR 'DCF 2004-2006 What's Upstairs?' 8/11/2005] This object was featured in the Museum’s ‘web gallery’ (‘Selected Objects from the Lower Gallery’) produced during the DCF-funded ‘What’s Upstairs?’ project, 2004–2006, with the following caption: ‘This breast ornament was collected in the Santa Cruz Islands area of the Solomon Islands in the late nineteenth century. It is made from tridacna-shell with a design overlaid in turtle-shell. The turtle-shell design represents a frigate bird with a number of bonito fish above it.

Search terms: Ornament, Figure, Breast Ornament, Bird Figure

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