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• Auction House:
  Theodore Bruce
• Sale Name:
  Timed Online Auction | The Todd Barlin Collection of Oceanic and Asian Art | Day I
• Sale Date:
  08 Aug 2022 ~ 6pm (AEST)
• Lot #:
  9189
• Lot Description:
  A Collection of Twelve Fine Old Shell Rings, Called Yua, Abelam People Prince Alexander Mountains, East Sepik Province
  Papua New Guinea, 19th Century and Earlier
  Dia 6 - 13 cm
• Provenance:
  The Todd Barlin Collection, these were all acquired by me 30- 40 years ago and have been in my personal collection as the very best examples because of their unique shapes & very old patina from long use.
• Notes:
  These are an important type of traditional currency made from fossilised Giant Clam Shell which takes great skill & time to have made with only traditional tools like bamboo & sand friction. Some have designs that are carved to represent Hornbill Bird heads at the top of the shell ring. These Shell Rings still remain an important form of wealth among the Abelam people & surrounding Sepik societies. As ceremonial valuables, Yua were displayed or exchanged as part of most major rituals and rites of passage. At birth, a ring is presented to the child's maternal uncle, who later will help guide him through the complex male initiation cycle. At marriage, the groom presents Yua to the bride's parents, the number he is able to give becoming a lifelong source of pride. At death, gifts of Yua to maternal relatives help ease the passage of the spirit to the afterlife. They are displayed during male initiation, the dedication of men's ceremonial houses, and other occasions, as symbols of the strength and wealth of the community. The rings are so prized that a man, wishing to emphasise another man's status or his affection for him, will address him as wuna yua (my ring).
• Estimate:
  A$600 - 800
• Realised Price:
  *****
  

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• Category:
  Tribal

This Sale has been held and this item is no longer available. Details are provided for information purposes only.