Australia, Kimberley, Western Australia
1930s
Pearl shell, ochre, fiber suspension cord
Height: 9½ inches (24.1 cm); Width: 7⅛ inches (18.1 cm)
Provenance: Jonathan Saussehrd, Australia
At 9½ by 7⅛ inches, this is among the largest documented longka longka to appear on the market, the gold-lip oyster shell itself an unusually large specimen that would have been selected and traded precisely for its size. The engraved design departs from the rectilinear maze patterns typical of the Kimberley tradition, instead employing a curvilinear composition of broad, flowing parallel curves that sweep across the full face in continuous sinuous forms, with dotted infill punctuating the lower field. The lines are deeply incised and filled with ochre, their width and spacing reflecting the scale of the shell and producing a design with an openness and fluency not seen on smaller examples.
The fiber suspension cord is retained at both the upper and lower attachment points, looped and knotted in a manner consistent with wear as a body ornament during ceremony. Longka longka of this scale would have carried proportionally greater exchange value as they moved through the intertribal networks that distributed Kimberley pearl shell across the continent, and the combination of format, curvilinear design, and intact suspension cord makes this one of the more distinctive shells in the Saussehrd group.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Australia, Kimberley, Western Australia
1930s
Pearl shell, ochre, fiber suspension cord
Height: 9½ inches (24.1 cm); Width: 7⅛ inches (18.1 cm)
Provenance: Jonathan Saussehrd, Australia
At 9½ by 7⅛ inches, this is among the largest documented longka longka to appear on the market, the gold-lip oyster shell itself an unusually large specimen that would have been selected and traded precisely for its size. The engraved design departs from the rectilinear maze patterns typical of the Kimberley tradition, instead employing a curvilinear composition of broad, flowing parallel curves that sweep across the full face in continuous sinuous forms, with dotted infill punctuating the lower field. The lines are deeply incised and filled with ochre, their width and spacing reflecting the scale of the shell and producing a design with an openness and fluency not seen on smaller examples.
The fiber suspension cord is retained at both the upper and lower attachment points, looped and knotted in a manner consistent with wear as a body ornament during ceremony. Longka longka of this scale would have carried proportionally greater exchange value as they moved through the intertribal networks that distributed Kimberley pearl shell across the continent, and the combination of format, curvilinear design, and intact suspension cord makes this one of the more distinctive shells in the Saussehrd group.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
