Culture Solomon Islands
Title Necklace
Date 20th century
Medium Pearl shell, shell beads, seed pods, and and fiber
Dimensions Object: 16 3/4 × 6 7/8 × 1/2 in. (42.5 × 17.5 × 1.3 cm)
Overall: 16 3/4 × 6 7/8 × 1/2 in. (42.5 × 17.5 × 1.3 cm)
Credit Line Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University
Accession Number 72.43.3
About this Work
Great care and attention were taken in the creation of this Solomon Islands’ necklace, which was used not only as a form of jewelry to adorn and beautify the wearer but also as a display of the wearer’s wealth and a form of currency. Necklaces and other objects of ornamentation such as this were so greatly valued that they were often passed down from one generation to the next. While such objects would function as part of a family’s wealth, men also wore necklaces like this one for ceremonial occasions.
This necklace is typical of many works of art from the Solomon Islands in its use of the curved form and its interest in symmetry. The curve entered into Solomon Islands art through trade with Polynesia during the early 19th century. The Solomon Islands are known for their creation of necklaces and other forms of personal adornment with the use of many tiny shell beads. Interestingly, the materials of this necklace also communicate the cultural interaction of the Solomon Islands with other cultures, as the pearl shell that is used was only available to Solomon Islands artists through trade.
