Armband

Culture: Aitape artist
Date: 19th or 20th century
Material: Tortoise shell, pigment, plant fiber
from: Papua New Guinea, Oceania
Classification: Bone & shell, jewelry & personal accessories
Collection: Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
Current Location: On View, Gallery 106
Dimensions: 7 13/16 x 4 3/4 in. (19.8 x 12 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Morton D. May
Rights: Public Domain
Object Number: 193:1975

NOTES

The armband here is made of tortoise shell, a rare and precious material. This highly valued adornment circulated throughout the Sepik River valley. On the Papua New Guinea coast, men wore the bands on their arms, while in the Middle Sepik River region masqueraders attached the armbands to the backs of large ancestor masks for dancing. Armbands could be exchanged or given as a sign of friendship.

Provenance

by 1974 - 1975
Morton D. May (1914-1983), St. Louis, MO, USA [1]

1975 -
Saint Louis Art Museum, given by Morton D. May [2]

Notes:
[1] This object was in the collection of Morton D. May when it arrived to the Museum in 1974 [1974.1639 loan agreement form, SLAM document files].

[2] A letter dated August 14, 1975 from Morton D. May to Mary-Edgar Patton, acting director of the Saint Louis Art Museum, includes the offer of this object as part of a larger donation [SLAM document files]. Minutes of the Acquisitions Committee of the Board of Trustees, Saint Louis Art Museum, November 6, 1975.

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