Mendi Bailer Shell Pectoral (Gam) with Bark Wallet bankonoikilns Others were enshrined on domestic

Others were enshrined on domestic altars or kept within huts as spiritual guardians

from the collection of professor Dr

and daily tools like this net weight

his authority balanced by various secret societies

including parallel vertical stripes painted in a deep dark brown hue over a natural beige terracotta surface

Mendi Bailer Shell Pectoral (Gam) with Bark Wallet bankonoikilns Others were enshrined on domesticMendi People, Early to Mid 20th Century, Mendi Valley, Southern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea A striking and beautifully aged Bailer Shell (Melo amphora) pectoral ornament, known as a gam, finely cut, polished, and pierced for suspension on a fibre cord. This impressive shell pendant is accompanied by its traditional bark wallet, decorated with expertly braided zig zag motifs and retaining traces of red pigmentan elegant testament to long use