Honiara, Solomon Islands
1990s
Wood, shell inlay, indigenous adhesive
Height: 28½ in (72.4 cm); Width: 9¾ in (24.8 cm)
Provenance: Private collection, Honiara, Solomon Islands
Shell inlay has been a defining technique in Solomon Islands prestige object production for centuries, applied to canoes, weapons, and ceremonial objects as a marker of skill and status. This contemporary shield continues that tradition, the surface covered in a dense field of shell pieces set in indigenous adhesive to create an intricate figurative and geometric composition in black, red, and white. The piece was acquired directly from a Honiara private collection, placing it within the active craft tradition of the modern Solomons rather than the colonial-era market.
The composition is organized around a central frontal figure at the upper register, flanked by symmetrical scrolling forms that extend downward through the full length of the shield face. A second smaller figure appears at the lower register, the two connected by a vertical column of geometric patterning. The shell inlay is consistently applied across the entire surface, the work reflecting a sustained command of the technique.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Honiara, Solomon Islands
1990s
Wood, shell inlay, indigenous adhesive
Height: 28½ in (72.4 cm); Width: 9¾ in (24.8 cm)
Provenance: Private collection, Honiara, Solomon Islands
Shell inlay has been a defining technique in Solomon Islands prestige object production for centuries, applied to canoes, weapons, and ceremonial objects as a marker of skill and status. This contemporary shield continues that tradition, the surface covered in a dense field of shell pieces set in indigenous adhesive to create an intricate figurative and geometric composition in black, red, and white. The piece was acquired directly from a Honiara private collection, placing it within the active craft tradition of the modern Solomons rather than the colonial-era market.
The composition is organized around a central frontal figure at the upper register, flanked by symmetrical scrolling forms that extend downward through the full length of the shield face. A second smaller figure appears at the lower register, the two connected by a vertical column of geometric patterning. The shell inlay is consistently applied across the entire surface, the work reflecting a sustained command of the technique.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
