Null Giant clam on base
Tridacna derasa
Salomon Islands
H. 14 3/16 in - W. 13 25…

Description

Giant clam on base Tridacna derasa Salomon Islands H. 14 3/16 in - W. 13 25/32 in CITES II/B

47

Giant clam on base Tridacna derasa Salomon Islands H. 14 3/16 in - W. 13 25/32 in CITES II/B

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Estim. 120 - 150 EUR

Club, Fiji Archipelago, Solomon Islands (?). Wood with brown to black-brown patina. Length: 57 cm The oblong head is an extension of the smooth shaft.

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Maulavata, Solomon Islands 19th century Diameter 20 cm Thickness 8 cm Bamboo-sawn tridacna gigas fossil stoup Provenance Zanette private collection French private collection A pure, graphic abstraction, this Maulavata, sawn from fossilized bamboo, has a thick hooped shape, within which a hollowed-out circle appears. Its irregular, grainy surface features beautiful nuances of color, ranging from ecru to orange-yellow.

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Mbakai, Solomon Islands, New Georgia 20th century Bamboo-sawn tridacna gigas fossil stoup Diameter: 10 cm Provenance Zanette private collection French private collection This type of coin was used in a limited geographical area, the stoup ring symbolically sealing the alliance between one clan and another. A sacred object in a circular shape, the fossil's hues range from ecru to honey-orange.

Estim. 1 500 - 2 000 EUR

Set of 4 Barava Pangosia, Aire Roviana, Solomon Islands 19th century or earlier Fossil stoup, tridacna gigas Dimensions: 7x7 cm/ 7x5 cm / 9X7cm/ 10x9 cm Provenance: Didier Zanette Didier Zanette French private collection "Mysterious, these Solomon Islands treasures, sometimes still worn there like ornaments from ancient times, bring a little of the sun's sparkling splash on the swell agitated by the silent, terrible passage of a school of bonito. [...] They are precious, come from the land of Ophir and retain their magic." (Dominique Barbe, In Art des îles Salomon, 2015) Both ritual coins and pirogue ornaments, pangosia are part of the high tradition of fossil clam carving in Melanesia. Here, the pangosia takes the classic form of an openwork comb, pierced with small holes at the top. The fourth example offers an iconographic variant tending towards abstraction. The beautiful ivory-tinged patina is the result of thousands of years of polishing of this rare fossil shell, meticulously crafted by talented sculptors. Such an object, made from the most precious of Oceania's materials, could only have belonged to powerful individuals and thus become a prestigious emblem. Pangosia were used as protective badges during traditional headhunting rituals. They were attached, along with other coins, to the vovoso, a ritual object embodying the "spirit of the dead", which was tied to the pirogue when the expedition departed. These protective effigies were associated with the weather god, charged with warding off bad weather, and accompanied by the warning: "Be calm, you gods, the ancestors, the five gods of Koluka". In times of peace, the vovoso and its ornaments were placed near the funeral altars alongside the skulls of the chiefs, under the exclusive protection of the funeral priest.

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