Necklace Currency
ClassificationsClothing and Adornments-neck ornaments
Datemid 19th - early 20th Century
Made AtSolomon Islands
Collection SiteSydney, New South Wales, Australia, Australia
MediumShell, trade beads and fiber
DimensionsStretched out, flexible length: 44 1/2 × 1/8 × 1/16 in. (113 × 0.3 × 0.2 cm)
Credit LineThe George Stanley Lodin Collection
Object number2015.17.29
DescriptionAdornments, particularly those made with shells or parts of shells, are frequently worn throughout Papua New Guinea and many areas of Oceania. In addition to this use, shells are often used as a type of currency or trade item. As such, shell adornments not only possess value, but also function as tangible symbols of their wearer’s wealth and status. This particular necklace is strung with shell money from the Solomon Islands. Disc shaped beads were common forms of shell money from this geographic area. The necklace is also strung with trade beads. These beads suggest the vast trade networks that existed in Oceania and beyond. Their inclusion could also point to the additional wealth of the person who previously possessed and wore this necklace.On View
Not on view
mid 19th - early 20th Century
mid 20th Century
mid 20th Century
mid 20th Century
mid 20th Century
late 20th Century
