Rare 19th C. Solomon Island Dance Sticks (pr)
Oceania, Melanesia, Solomon Islands, Santa Cruz Islands, ca. 19th century CE. A rare pair of dance sticks known as ndabma or noveapu that are decorated with scarlet feathers from the honey-eater bird, all attached around two coconut wood sticks. These ornaments were worn by men during ceremonial dances, either through their nose or in their hair. The feathers are arranged around the stick, the black and white bands are from the wing feathers of the bird, while the brilliant red is from the petite bird's back and head, and fluffy white down feathers are attached as a finial with pitch. These sticks were ceremonial but also served as currency or dowry items. Hundreds of feathers were needed to cover the surface, so the scarlet honeyeater birds were caught alive using sticky sap traps, the feathers were plucked, then the bird is set free to ensure there were enough birds for future use. Size (taller stick): 16.25" L x 0.2" W (41.3 cm x 0.5 cm); 17" H (43.2 cm) on included custom stand.
Cf. the St. Louis Art Museum, object number 1528:1983.2a-c.
Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection, 1995 to 2010
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
#168978
Condition Report: Repair to midsection of one stick, with very light adhesive residue along break lines. Losses to red feathers along both sicks and fraying / clumping to white feather finials. Old inventory labels attached to the tips of both sticks.
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Oceania, Melanesia, Solomon Islands, Santa Cruz Islands, ca. 19th century CE. A rare pair of dance sticks known as ndabma or noveapu that are decorated with scarlet feathers from the honey-eater bird, all attached around two coconut wood sticks. These ornaments were worn by men during ceremonial dances, either through their nose or in their hair. The feathers are arranged around the stick, the black and white bands are from the wing feathers of the bird, while the brilliant red is from the petite bird's back and head, and fluffy white down feathers are attached as a finial with pitch. These sticks were ceremonial but also served as currency or dowry items. Hundreds of feathers were needed to cover the surface, so the scarlet honeyeater birds were caught alive using sticky sap traps, the feathers were plucked, then the bird is set free to ensure there were enough birds for future use. Size (taller stick): 16.25" L x 0.2" W (41.3 cm x 0.5 cm); 17" H (43.2 cm) on included custom stand.
Cf. the St. Louis Art Museum, object number 1528:1983.2a-c.
Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection, 1995 to 2010
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
#168978
Condition Report: Repair to midsection of one stick, with very light adhesive residue along break lines. Losses to red feathers along both sicks and fraying / clumping to white feather finials. Old inventory labels attached to the tips of both sticks.
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