Papua New Guinea Bailer Shell Pectoral Boiken Ceremonial Wealth Status Bailer

This is a very Unique Bailer Shell Pectoral with a Carved Lizard on the Inside with a Shell Hook Dangling on the end from the Boiken People of the East Sepik Province of Papua New Guinea. The bailer shell is the most important pectoral in this region, worn mainly by men, but sometimes women of high status. They follow trade routes that bring these shells from the coast to coast, and they become both important in ceremony but also as items of wealth. Shells were often borrowed and lent when needed for ceremonial occasions and given sacred meaning through their association with ancestral cults. This Bailer shell ornament has a an anthropomorphic lizard form resembling those seen on a shield placed in side with string holding it in place that is fastened in the back.

This would be a lovely addition to your collection or home. Mid-20th Century COMES ON A STAND Shows age, but is in good condition. Museum Quality Bailer Shell on Stand 9 3/4" tall Shell 6" tall 4" wide 1" deep Lizard 4" long 1" wide Shell Tail 3 long AT BACARA WE STAND BEHIND ALL OF OUR MERCHANDISE.

WE CAN PROVIDE REFERENCES FOR ALL ARTIFACTS THAT WE SELL, AS WELL AS DOCUMENTATION TOWARD THEIR AUTHENTICITY. YOUR SATISFACTION IS OUR MAIN GOAL, AND WE THANK YOU FOR SHOPPING AT BACARA. The item "Papua New Guinea Bailer Shell Pectoral Boiken Ceremonial Wealth Status Bailer" is in sale since Saturday, March 30, 2019. This item is in the category "Antiques\Ethnographic\Pacific Islands & Oceania". The seller is "bacara-online" and is located in Overland Park, Kansas. This item can be shipped worldwide.

• Color: Multi-Color
• Material: Shell
• Original/Reproduction: Original

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