Australia
1940s
Pearl shell, ochre
Height: 5¼ inches (13.3 cm); Width: 3¾ inches (9.5 cm)
Provenance: Private collection, Sydney
Longka longka are engraved pearl shells from the Kimberley region of Western Australia, traditionally worn as pubic coverings during ceremony and widely distributed through intertribal exchange networks. This example departs from the geometric maze designs most commonly seen on longka longka, instead featuring a figurative swan engraved across the face of the shell with concentric line infill following the body's contours. The incorporation of a naturalistic bird motif reflects the adaptive range of Aboriginal engravers working within an established shell-working tradition.
The engraving is executed with fine incised lines filled with ochre, the swan rendered in profile with a defined head, beak, eye, and layered wing detail radiating outward in parallel strokes. Pearl shells of this type from the 1940s occasionally show the influence of increased contact with mission settlements and pastoral communities, which introduced new subject matter into traditional craft forms without displacing the underlying techniques.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Australia
1940s
Pearl shell, ochre
Height: 5¼ inches (13.3 cm); Width: 3¾ inches (9.5 cm)
Provenance: Private collection, Sydney
Longka longka are engraved pearl shells from the Kimberley region of Western Australia, traditionally worn as pubic coverings during ceremony and widely distributed through intertribal exchange networks. This example departs from the geometric maze designs most commonly seen on longka longka, instead featuring a figurative swan engraved across the face of the shell with concentric line infill following the body's contours. The incorporation of a naturalistic bird motif reflects the adaptive range of Aboriginal engravers working within an established shell-working tradition.
The engraving is executed with fine incised lines filled with ochre, the swan rendered in profile with a defined head, beak, eye, and layered wing detail radiating outward in parallel strokes. Pearl shells of this type from the 1940s occasionally show the influence of increased contact with mission settlements and pastoral communities, which introduced new subject matter into traditional craft forms without displacing the underlying techniques.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
