Two Pacific Palau Islands Women’s Turtle-shell Ceremonial Dishes Micronesia
Two Pacific Palau Islands Women’s Turtle-shell Ceremonial Dishes
Micronesia
First half 19th Century
Size: 21.5cm wide, 13cm deep, 2.5cm high – 8½ ins wide, 5 ins deep, 1 ins high
20cm wide, 14.5cm deep, 2cm high – 8 ins wide, 5¾ ins deep, ¾ ins high
See: Finch and Co catalogue no. 10, item no. 2, catalogue no. 14, item no. 42, for other examples
Micronesia
First half 19th Century
Size: 21.5cm wide, 13cm deep, 2.5cm high – 8½ ins wide, 5 ins deep, 1 ins high
20cm wide, 14.5cm deep, 2cm high – 8 ins wide, 5¾ ins deep, ¾ ins high
See: Finch and Co catalogue no. 10, item no. 2, catalogue no. 14, item no. 42, for other examples
Made by women of the Palau Islands by heating the turtle shell in hot water and then shaping it in wooden moulds, these dishes are of ceremonial importance. They are used as a form of currency during ritual exchanges and regarded by the women as their exclusive property. They are gifted to the next generation through the female line and are kept as treasured heirlooms.
Two Pacific Palau Islands Women’s Turtle-shell Ceremonial Dishes Micronesia
SOLD
