Accession No

E 1905.340


Description

Najiri Balisura. Charm made of dried pandanus or other leaf ornamentation of bone rings, used as a guide, protector, and luck bringer during head hunting expeditions


Place

Oceania; Melanesia; Solomon Islands; Isabel Island


Period


Source

Welchman, Henry [Reverend Dr] [field collector]; Bevan, Anthony Ashley (Professor) [monetary donor]


Department

Anth


Reference Numbers

E 1905.340; MAA: Z 11185; AR 1906.1057


Cultural Affliation


Material

Shell; Plant; Cloth; Cotton; Leaf


Local Term

na jiri bali sura; Najiri Balisura; ligomu


Measurements

50mm x 25mm x 130mm


Events

Description (Physical description)
Catalogue card for E 1905.340: 'Compound charm'. [Added later in black ball point pen:] 'na jiri, bali suna, consisting of an oblong leaf receptacle with fringed ends, the face is covered with fifteen rings of white shell set in rows; and each tie of double string of brown fibre, is strung with a couple of similar rings; to one side is hung a ligomu (shell charm). This charm is kept in a wrapper of pandanus leaf (340a). It acts as a guide, protection and luck bringer during head hunting expeditions.'
Event Date
Author: maa


Description (Physical description)
Catalogue card 2 for Z 11185: 'Charm made of dried pandanus or other leaf ornamentation of bone rings. The native name is NA JIRI BALI SURA. It is used as a guid [sic], protector, and luck bringer during head head hunting expeditions and is worn in the belt shown in the same case.From Isabel'.

Event Date
Author: Lucie Carreau


Context (Related Documents)
Adhered to catalogue card 2 is an old handwrittten paper label which notes 'E. 1905.340/ A charm (na jiri bali/ sura) gives protection, and luck bringer during head hunting expeditions/ Ysabel Is., Solomon Is./ Profesor Bevan, 1905'
Event Date 1905
Author: Rachel Hand


Context (Acquisition Details)
Catalogue card 1 notes the source as 'D.* Professor Bevan'. The asterisk refers to a note in the Annual Report that items were purchased with money donated by Professor A.A Bevan to the Accessions Fund.
Event Date 1905
Author: maa


Context (Display)
Exhibited: on loan to 'The Radiance of Shadows: The black and white art of the Solomon Islands' ('L'éclat des ombres, l'art en noir et blanc des Îles Salomon'), at the Musée du quai Branly, Paris, 11th November 2014 to 1st February 2015.

Event Date 11/11/2014
Author: Rachel Hand


Context (References)
Illustrated in Lucie Carreau. 2016. Collections from the Solomon Islands. Cambridge: Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.13275, p.28.
Event Date 2016
Author: Lucie Carreau


Conservation ()
CON.2014.97 |
Event Date 1/3/2016
Author: maa


FM:267450

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