Pair of Earplugs

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Culture Santa Cruz Islands

Title Pair of Earplugs

Date Late 19th–early 20th century

Medium Raffia, bat teeth, glass beads, and and wood

Dimensions Object: 1 1/2 × 1 1/2 in. (3.8 × 3.8 cm)
Overall: 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 in. (3.8 x 3.8 cm)

Credit Line Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University

Accession Number 63.114

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About this Work

Adornment with necklaces, pendants, earrings, earplugs and more were used by the people of the Santa Cruz Islands to demonstrate wealth, status, age, and gender to those in their community.

Within the arts of Melanesian a wide range of materials is often used. In this case raffia, glass beads, wood, and bat teeth. This range of materials is a result of what was historically available and it also shows the artist's interest in the combination of materials.

Provenance
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Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

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"Pair of Earplugs | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=63.114