WESTERN PAPUA (New Guinea), Dani/Ndani, Baliem Valley. - Lot 339

WESTERN PAPUA (New Guinea), Dani/Ndani, Baliem Valley. Second half of the 20th century. Mikak pectoral necklace on base. H. 45 cm Thick braid of plant fibers forming a choker adorned with cowries (Cypraea moneta, Linné). The choker ends with a clasp made of plant fibers and a shell ring (Conus sp.?, Linné). A set of seven pendants completes the set. These pendants, cut into concave blades, come from a shell (Melo Amphora, Lighfoot). This ornament, also known as a pectoral necklace, indicates prestigious status and is therefore reserved for chiefs. It was once worn during tribal wars, but today serves only as a social marker: colonization and pacification imposed by the Dutch have altered the traditional life of the Dani/Ndani. The shells that make up a large part of this jewel, as far-flung products, underpin the value of the set. Provenance: former French private collection. Selected bibliography: Collectif. Objets de pouvoir en Nouvelle-Guinée. Catalog of the Anne-Marie and Pierre Pétrequin donation. Musée d'Archéologie Nationale, Saint-Germain-en-Laye. RMN, 2006. Corpus for matching: see the photo on the website of the Australian National University, Pacific Manuscript Bureau, registered under the following code: AU PMB PHOTO 106-075. The shot shows the necklace in context.