Nendo Island, Santa Cruz Islands, Temotu Province, Solomon Islands
Late 19th century
Tridacna shell, turtle shell overlay, fiber cord
Diameter: 5⅛ in (13 cm)
Provenance: Bruce Seamans, Bora Bora, French Polynesia
The tema is among the most distinctive prestige ornaments produced in the Santa Cruz Islands, made from a ground Tridacna gigas shell disk with an overlay of carved turtle shell extending from the top to the center of the face. Unlike the kapkap found elsewhere in the Solomons, the turtle shell on a tema does not cover the full disk but terminates at the midpoint, where it is secured through a drilled hole. Originating on Nendo Island, these breastplates were worn by warriors and men of high status, and continue to be worn in pairs during initiation dances and ceremonial performances such as the Nelo dance.
The turtle shell overlay depicts a frigate bird in the lower register, its forked tail and distinctive wing silhouette rendered in a carved cutwork technique against the pale Tridacna ground. Above the frigate bird, three pairs of leaping dolphins are stacked in a stylized column, integrating two of the most symbolically significant animals in Santa Cruz cosmology within a single composition. The frigate bird was understood as a guide to fishermen and an emblem of warrior qualities; the dolphin carried its own ceremonial and economic significance through its association with the annual bonito season.
Please note: This is an ESA antique-exempt piece of turtle shell. It cannot be sold internationally or to buyers residing in California, Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, or Washington. The piece is guaranteed to predate 1972.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Nendo Island, Santa Cruz Islands, Temotu Province, Solomon Islands
Late 19th century
Tridacna shell, turtle shell overlay, fiber cord
Diameter: 5⅛ in (13 cm)
Provenance: Bruce Seamans, Bora Bora, French Polynesia
The tema is among the most distinctive prestige ornaments produced in the Santa Cruz Islands, made from a ground Tridacna gigas shell disk with an overlay of carved turtle shell extending from the top to the center of the face. Unlike the kapkap found elsewhere in the Solomons, the turtle shell on a tema does not cover the full disk but terminates at the midpoint, where it is secured through a drilled hole. Originating on Nendo Island, these breastplates were worn by warriors and men of high status, and continue to be worn in pairs during initiation dances and ceremonial performances such as the Nelo dance.
The turtle shell overlay depicts a frigate bird in the lower register, its forked tail and distinctive wing silhouette rendered in a carved cutwork technique against the pale Tridacna ground. Above the frigate bird, three pairs of leaping dolphins are stacked in a stylized column, integrating two of the most symbolically significant animals in Santa Cruz cosmology within a single composition. The frigate bird was understood as a guide to fishermen and an emblem of warrior qualities; the dolphin carried its own ceremonial and economic significance through its association with the annual bonito season.
Please note: This is an ESA antique-exempt piece of turtle shell. It cannot be sold internationally or to buyers residing in California, Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, or Washington. The piece is guaranteed to predate 1972.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
