World Cultures (E4561)

Two fishhooks of three mentioned in register. Almost identical. Both have shell bodies and tortoisesehll hooks but one is slightly bigger than the other. Hooks are attached by fibre cord strung through a hole in each hook and tied tightly around the shell body.The bigger has 2 white, two red and 1 blue beads on the end. The smaller has 4 blue, 1 red beads on the end. The 3rd hook transferred to 8696.

World Cultures (E4563)

Model shark made of wood and inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The fish is painted black with the incised lines in the natural wood colour. Part of the tail is broken off and missing. The wood is very light. A talisman?

World Cultures (E4566)

Black with a flatened blade. The handle is carved into 'four blades'.

World Cultures (E4569)

Betel nut spatula with a narrow blade and a wider flat handle. Carved all over with frigate bird motif. Well carved specimen.

World Cultures (E4577)

Leg rattle made of Betel nut shells tied to grass rope. Worn on legs for ceremonial dancing

World Cultures (E4578)

Leg rattle made of Betel nut shells tied to grass rope. Worn on legs for ceremonial dancing. Some shells detached

World Cultures (E4586)

Black and red paint work all over. A pendant of dried leguminous pods. Betel nut shells

World Cultures (E4587)

Bamboo Jew's harp in what appears to be a dried leaf sheath with fine string attached. (Jew's harps introduced in the Pacific from Asian travellers 15th (?) century or so). Sheath is slightly darker in colour. Jew's harp has 2 small slits towards its end (which tapers into a point, the point wrapped in fine string). In between these 2 slits is inserted 3 little red beads, 2 of a darker red on either side of a lighter red. On one side of the sheath is a paper label attached. Inside a border of 2 black lines, "Jew's Harp S.I." is written in ink. This is also written just above the beads and slit part of the instrument, though the writing has faded somewhat. Being gentle, the harp still fits snugly inside the sheath.

World Cultures (E4588)

Bamboo Jew's harp in sheath. Harp decorated with 10 small coloured beads and length of fibre attached

World Cultures (E4589)

7 pan pipes made of bamboo (?). Black staining all over . The pipes are arranged from shortest to longest or vice versa. They are bound to each other by 2 bands of plaited bamboo, though one has broken apart. Modern "unoriginal" string has been looped around and in between the pipes to add support and keep them together.

World Cultures (E4591)

Flat dark wooden shuttle carved into point at one end. Two long pieces of wood carved into a point at either end with notches carved all around at both ends of both pieces of wood. Piece of hollowed-out bamboo, a length of fibre and a thin stick. Half finished piece of woven matting with the warps held in place by 3 pieces of stick. The matting shows a goeometric pattern in black on a natural coloured background. One stick holding the warp threads is tied on with string, the other end of which remains attached in the ball. Sisal fringe sewn in at the end of matting. Also wide bamboo decoration.

World Cultures (E4594)

Wide, finely woven body belt of cream-coloured grass, decorated with bands of black zigzag and diamond patterns. At intervals all over the belt are tufts of cream fibre. The ends have fringes of grass.

World Cultures (E4607)

Wide man's belt of finely woven grass. Cream, decorated at intervals with bands of black with cream zigzags. Tufts of cream string scattered all over. Grass fringes at end. Note on older card stated that it was woven from banana fibre, patterened with stained fibre and tasselled.

World Cultures (E4608)

Grass mat with stripes of black chequer work pattern. Has fringe at either end.

World Cultures (E4609)

Plain cream grass belt. Woven with grass tassels at each end

World Cultures (E4610)

Rather coarsely woven man's belt, decorated with bands of black pattern on cream in zigzags and diamond shapes. Tufts of cream fibre at intervals all over. Cream grass fringes at ends.

World Cultures (E4617)

Heavy ridged block of wood with smooth rounded handle

World Cultures (E4622)

Made of shell of the Hawksbill Turtle (GB 1977), split to use as an armlet. A band, but not complete circle as there is a small opening/break in the armlet.

World Cultures (E4623)

Ground shell discs which are sections of shells threaded on to a thick fibre twisted band. The band ends with a tassel at either end. There are 2 slightly larger shell sections attached to one vessel.

World Cultures (E4624)

A betel nut with fibres pulled out to form a shaving brush. (Graham Baines 1977 from Fiji said "made from the fruit of pandanus palm")

World Cultures (E4625)

Globular-shaped vessel. Decorated with chevrons (two, above and below four suspension holes)

World Cultures (E4626)

Large whale bone body backed with pearl shell. Large barb of turtle shell with hole above its arch. Through the hole and around the body is tied some fibre cord. Woven fibre also extends up the body, loops through another hole at the base of the hook and ties through a hole in the end of the body.

World Cultures (E4627)

Plain pebble, flat on one side. Mrs Hadfield: "This stone flat on one side and round on the other. This stone is a taro fetish. It was planted with certain bushes or herbs to cause the taro to grow".

World Cultures (E4628)

Halberd shaped club, handle bound with fibre and dyed. Note on old card- "Bird's head type, extra large and massive head. The handle is bound with flying fox fur, plaited sinnet over the trade cloth""

World Cultures (E4629)

Wound around a band is a long length of fibre with grass fringe. Mrs Hadfield noted: "Women's skirt made from cocoa-nut husk, it was worn wrapped around and round the hips and bunches out on every side". Supposedly, this dress could last a woman many years and worn with a string of beads (if of high birth) or else a bracelet.

World Cultures (E4631)

A food tray of basketwork, scoop-shaped for carrying hot food. Mrs Hadfield: this is used by natives for carrying their food to their homes or friends after it was hot from their oven of hot stones

World Cultures (E4632)

circular and dark ochre in colour, made of grass and woven from centre base with 16 radial supports, edge finished double with outer edge knotted. 4 strings of fibre twisted into thread, threading symmetrically from inside of top crossing inside of bottom

World Cultures (E4633)

shaped like a kidney bean and dark ochre in colour, made of grass and woven as oval shape finished with double edge and outer edge knotted.

World Cultures (E4634)

Split pinion and tail feathers of the boatswain bird mounted on a spike. Mrs Hadfield: "This was worn during times of war by teh bravest man of teh tribe. If he became wounded, or felt his courage failing, the headdrest was passed on to the next bravest man in the company"

World Cultures (E4635)

Originally approximately 15cm long pointed at each end, one point broken off and the other broken but mended.

World Cultures (E4636)

Irregular "jade" beads, strung on flying fox fur. A tail of flying fox, plaited, attached. Worn as necklaces with fur strings over the shoulder. Flying fox fur is highly valued and part of all currency (supposedly) as well as being used for decorating weapons oand articles of value. Mrs Hadfield: "these beads are made by being rubbed between two stones, the hole is made by a rough drill and with a small bit of flint at the end"

World Cultures (E4638)

Dark green stone adze head, well-finished. Mrs Hadfield: "Used in the Loyalty Islands for making canoes and cutting trees. The wood was first partly burnt and charcoal chipped"

World Cultures (E4639)

triangular shaped adze head, mottled dark green colour

World Cultures (E4640)

polished stone with greenish colouring, edges chipped

World Cultures (E4641)

Large curved comb made from one piece with incised blue and black decoration on part of the handle. Mrs Hadfield: "The hair is combed upwards and generally then it is wet or well oiled".

World Cultures (E4642)

23 pieces of cane, acting as teeth, which are bound with fine fibre at one end.

World Cultures (E4643)

Top ornamented with fine coloured grasswork- the handle is woven grass which has been dyed red, yellow and black. The handle is shaped like a narrowed sand-timer, but the lower section is longer and straighter. The lower section has a geometric design of yellow and black whilst the upper section (which fans out slightly) has all 3 colours integrated. There are yellow lines for borders on either side. The background is black with 3 coloumns of yellow and red in the middle. Above this upper section is a longer blackened stick attached with dyed woven fibre. Then out sticks the 19 teeth, also blackened. Below the handle are 3 knobs, (1 in the middle and 1 at either end) are wood which appear to be the ends of the teeth, just shaped into this formation. Described in register as body-scratcher, but almost identical to E4503, a comb.

World Cultures (E4644)

Long string with large shells attached. Shells might be a type of Fasciolaria ("tulip shell", sea snail shells found in subtropical and tropical areas). Or another member of the Fasciolariidae. One end tied to a fruit-tree and the other held by old lady giving it an occasional shake-- Mrs Hadfield: "Birds did much damage to banaas, etc. and to frighten them away a string of shells was tied at one end of the tree on which the fruit grew. The other was in charge of a woman who was too old or otherwise unable to work. This old dame sat in the shade and occcasionally gave the string a pull and rattled the shellsand saved the fruit"

World Cultures (E4645)

Flat basalt head, triangular with rounded corners in shape, tied on to heavy wooden haft with interlaced string. Large disc-shaped head of basalt (broken) attached to wooden handles by sinnet bands

World Cultures (E4646)

Nine discs ranging from 2.7-4.5cm in diamenter connected to form a pendant. 'Worn by the Big Chiefs of New Guinea" (Mrs Hadfield)