Armband
Artist unknown, Pacific Islander
Artist Unidentified, Pacific Islander
20th century, 1950–2000
Object PlacePossibly Solomon Islands
Medium/TechniqueBraided vine, nassa shells
DimensionsOverall: 9 x 12.5 x 8 cm (3 9/16 x 4 15/16 x 3 1/8 in.)
Credit LineGift of Geneviève McMillan in memory of Reba Stewart
Accession number2009.2755
On View
Not on viewClassificationsJewelry / Adornment
Collections
Jewelry and other bodily adornments serve a variety of purposes. Certain objects are symbolic of the wealth and prestige of the wearer, while others serve as protective devices that ward off spiritual and physical harm. Among many Oceanic communities, the importance of bodily adornment carried into the afterlife and the deceased would be buried with their personal jewelry. This armband, possibly from the Solomon Islands, is made of braided fiber and Nassa shells. Men, women, and children all wore similar armbands on the upper portion of the arm and more elaborately dcorated armbands were reserved for ceremonial attire.
Provenance1974, acquired in Papua New Guinea (Moresby or Lae) by Geneviève McMillan (b. 1922 - d. 2008), Cambridge, MA; 2008, to the Geneviève McMillan and Reba Stewart Foundation, Cambridge; 2009, gift of the Geneviève McMillan and Reba Stewart Foundation to the MFA. (Accession Date: June 17, 2009)
Artist Unidentified, Pacific Islander
mid to late 20th century
