Lot 279

Description

Traditional Stone, Shell and Tooth Currency, Collection of ten traditional currency, exchange and ceremonial objects from the Pacific, Southeast Asia and Arctic region, comprising:
Papua New Guinea, a large dark polished stone trade axe attributed to the Highlands; three stone axe and adze blades of varying shapes and sizes, including two dark tapered examples and an elongated grey stone blade, attributed to the Sepik River region. Borneo, a dark, flattened stone axe head, traditionally attributed to the Dayak peoples and described as axe money.
Micronesia, Yap Island, a substantial irregular fragment of pale, crystalline stone, attributed to broken rai stone money, together with a smaller triangular perforated stone piece, described in the collector's documentation as a souvenir produced from an older Yap stone before 1975.
Papua New Guinea, a large pale polished shell plate of oval form with small perforations near the edges, identified as a kapkap-type ornament or component, fashioned from baler shell.
Fiji, a curved polished whale-tooth tabua, of pale cream to yellowish colour, with drilled suspension hole and attached braided natural-fibre cord. Such teeth were traditionally important ceremonial valuables, exchanged during weddings, reconciliations and other significant social occasions.
Arctic region, a curved pale tooth attributed to walrus ivory, traditionally associated with indigenous trade and ornamentation, with broken or unfinished broad end.
An interesting assembled selection of traditional exchange valuables, stone implements and ceremonial objects, accompanied by original collector's explanatory labels describing their geographic origins, manufacture and customary uses. Stone axes and adze blades with varying degrees of surface wear, weathering, abrasions, deposits and minor edge chips, several retaining smooth polished surfaces. Large Yap stone fragment with rough fractured edges and extensive pale crystalline deposits; smaller perforated stone with irregular worn surfaces. Shell plate with minor scratches, discolouration, small edge irregularities and surviving perforations. Whale-tooth tabua with age-related yellowing, minor surface scratches and staining, braided fibre cord with wear and some fraying. Walrus-tooth specimen with surface discolouration, minor scratches and an irregular broken or unfinished broad end. Original explanatory labels with handling wear, minor creasing and discolouration. Fine to very fine (10 items.)

From Alan McRae Collection.