Currency of exchange - Lot 15

Currency of exchange Tolai, Gazelle Peninsula, New Britain, Bismarck Archipelago, Papua New Guinea Shells, fibers, rattans, leaves, fibers D. 52 cm This scroll is made of a multitude of white shells (nassa type) threaded on long rows of rattan fibers and arranged in superimposed circles. The scroll is still partially surrounded by plant fibers, dried leaves and bark, which is exceptional on this type of coin due to the fragility of these organic materials. Locally known as tamba or tabu, these rolls are a medium of exchange in New Britain (Bismarck Archipelago, north of Papua New Guinea). Payment in the form of shell money is essential to the social equilibrium of the Tolai, whose society is organized around a complex system of exchanges between clans, societies and individuals. Irrespective of the social status issues associated with the possession of shell money, the ultimate purpose of accumulating such wealth for the Tolai is the public distribution of these rolls during ceremonies linked to ancestor worship. Status report: The plant fibers holding the bark together are partially distended. The shell assembly, on the other hand, is well maintained and integrates