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DrumC1382

Carved wood drum with an hourglass-like shape with a rounded handle on one side. The ends of the handles go into the mouths of two incised figures; one has a cowrie shell inlaid eye. The opposite side has two identical figures. The centre of the drum has a band of geometric pattern carved in relief. A piece of skin is attached to the top with cotton and fibre twine. There are remnants of red pigment.

Culture
New Guinea
Material
snake skin, fibre, cowrie shell, wood and pigment
Made in
Mount Hagen, Western Highlands, Papua New Guinea
Holding Institution
MOA: University of British Columbia
View Item Record
NecklaceC1432

Cowrie shells that have a greyish-white colour with orange tips. The shells are strung on a twisted brown string.

Culture
Melanesian
Material
cowrie shell and fibre
Made in
Pacific Islands
Holding Institution
MOA: University of British Columbia
View Item Record
HeaddressK2.181

A long thin brown fabric piece that has a main design consisting of red flannel with white cowrie shell rosettes and white goat fur trim with leopard skin trim. The ties are made of cotton.

Culture
Ngere
Material
goat skin, cowrie shell, cotton fibre and leopard skin
Made in
Guinea
Holding Institution
MOA: University of British Columbia
View Item Record
MaskK2.196

Brown wood helmet mask of an animal with bulbous eyes, ears, and horns. Large open mouth with jaws and very large teeth, five and six pairs deep. Upper teeth have incised diagonal lines. Fabric band across the forehead decorated with cowrie shells and extends back around the top of the head where a horn is attached at either side. Inside and back are filled with a light brown raffia-like material.

Culture
Senufo
Material
cowrie shell, wood and palm leaf ?
Made in
Cote d'Ivoire
Holding Institution
MOA: University of British Columbia
View Item Record
Blanket3587/8

Blanket or body wrap. Eggplant coloured textile with five alternating horizontal bands of light purple bands or two thin lines. Shell decorations sewn on in form of a male figure and a female figure. The short ends are stitched leaving a very short fringe.

Culture
Chin
Material
cotton fibre, dye and cowrie shell
Made in
“Myanmar: Sagaing” ?
Holding Institution
MOA: University of British Columbia
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Necklace3596/9

Round beaded neck ring with small rectangular panel at front; mounted on cow leather. Main body of necklace consists of thirteen strands of glass and seed beads in encircling rows, becoming successively smaller in size towards centre. Rows are (from interior to exterior): dark blue, dark red, alternating yellow and black, alternating yellow and black, orange, dark blue, white, alternating red and black, white, dark blue, red, and alternating black and white. Beaded semi-circles, with plain metal charms, protrude from either side of neck ring. Panel at front of necklace is decorated with two columns, divided by a small piece of wood; done in orange, dark blue, white, light green, and dark red. Columns have a repeating diamond motif through the centre with inverted triangles on either side. Circular metal charms extend from either side of panel; long beaded fringe, tipped with cowrie shells, extends from bottom edge. Necklace secures at back with two hook clasps; additional metal charms decorate edges around clasps. (Beaded fringe has mostly detached from necklace.)

Culture
Maasai
Material
glass, seed, cow skin, metal, cowrie shell and plant fibre
Made in
Narok, Kenya
Holding Institution
MOA: University of British Columbia
View Item Record
Breast Ornament3536/3

Irregularly-shaped diamond breast ornament; made out of plant fibre. Surface is covered in small cowrie shells; horizontal diamond-like opening in centre of ornament, showing fibre beneath. Shells surrounding opening are woven into a star-like pattern; rest of shells are attached in straight lines. Nine egg cowrie shells hang from both sides of the ornament (18 total). Pendant made of two tusks, forming a circle, hangs from a twisted fibre cord at the bottom; loop cord at top of ornament. Back of ornament is undecorated. (Also 1 extra, loose egg cowrie shell with stick attachments.)

Culture
New Guinea
Material
egg cowrie shell, cowrie shell, tusk, plant fibre and fibre
Made in
Papua New Guinea
Holding Institution
MOA: University of British Columbia
View Item Record
Carving3532/5 a-b

Carving of a female figure standing on an oval-like base (part a). She stands with her feet shoulder width apart, hands at her hips; depicted wearing a grass skirt and assorted jewellery made of twisted fibre and circular shells(?). Her face has linear and curvilinear designs painted across it in white; eyes are inset cowrie shells. Hair is black, with a white band painted underneath. Large hornbill sitting on top of woman’s head; neck is extended with head tilted back. Head and neck of hornbill are yellow, rest of body is black; eyes are inset cowrie shells. A crocodile, balanced on its tail, supports the back of the female figure; painted black. Two snakes stretch from her shoulders and have their heads resting against the base; done in black with white and orange stripes. All animals have intricately carved features; hornbill has additional curvilinear designs. Top of base is a light orange; sides have a channel carved into them, with ovals carved in relief throughout. Donor tag attached to snake on right side of base. (Left wing has broken off hornbill, part b.)

Culture
New Guinea
Material
wood, grass fibre, plant fibre, cowrie shell, shell ? and pigment
Made in
Papua New Guinea
Holding Institution
MOA: University of British Columbia
View Item Record
Mask3532/3

Wood mask depicting a bird woman. Face is heart-shaped with prominent brow and cheeks; sharp nose bridge divides face. Eyes protrude outward at an angle and are made of three tiers. Top of nose bridge is coloured with orange pigment; bottom half is covered in dark clay with small inset cowrie shells along the edges. Larger cowrie shells decorate centre of bridge. Below clay, crooked beak extends downward, covering chin. Same clay and cowrie shell design along bottom edges of mask; top edge is coloured with orange pigment. Mask is surrounded by an oval-shaped frame, wrapped in plant fibre; frame and mask are attached with rounded triangles, made of identical material. Woven into the frame are curved feathers; feathers are a mix of black and shades of brown. Mask back is flat.

Culture
New Guinea
Material
wood, clay ?, cowrie shell, feather, plant fibre and pigment
Made in
Papua New Guinea
Holding Institution
MOA: University of British Columbia
View Item Record
Mask3532/1

Narrow, oval-shaped plaque-like mask depicting two faces and bird; made of wood and coloured with orange pigment and dark brown stain. Face on top of mask is small and carved in relief. Face is oval-shaped, has a long thin nose, pronounced pouting lips and wide chin; long ears on either side of head. Depicted wearing a headdress. Beneath, bird is carved on its belly with the beak just below the chin of the face; wings are spread, touching either side of the plaque. Tail extends down between the eyebrows of the large face on the base of the mask. Face is thin and tapers to a rounded chin; face not carved in relief, only facial features. It has wide eyes, a long thin nose with large nostrils and bared teeth. Long thin ears on either side of head. All figures have cowrie shell eyes. Negative space between the figures and sides of the mask are filled with circular and geometric motifs. Sides of mask have a channel carved into them, with ovals carved in relief throughout. Plant fibre looped tie at top, on back of mask; mask back is concave.

Culture
New Guinea
Material
wood, cowrie shell, pigment and plant fibre
Made in
Papua New Guinea
Holding Institution
MOA: University of British Columbia
View Item Record