Tribal Art and Ethnographica Catalogue


Melanesia: Pacific islands

Item ID: t4249



Item Code: t4249
Description: A New Britain Spirit Board.
Carved in raised relief with the representation of the deity Moro, a hybrid spirit who is half-human, half-snake.
Decorated with red, blue, green and yellow trade paint. Evidence of multi-layered pigments.
When a woman marries into a different clan and bears her first son, a carved board such as this is presented to the family of the husband. The son is then initiated into the protective care of both clans. In return for this board, the husband's family pays the wife's family about 200 strands of shell money. The board must be paid for prior to the son being initiated.
BKK
Origin: Kombe linguistic area, West New Britain, Melanesia
Dimensions: Height: 243 cm / Width: 33 cm
Price: AUD $3,500.00 USD $2,450.00 EUR €1,855.00
Status: Available
Cart: Due to the size or weight of this item, please contact us directly if you are interested in purchasing it.