A very rare ceremonial headrest or tukule. The neck-bar is carved with stylized bird heads at either end. The painted designs show numerous birds in various stylized forms, three fish (one partially erased by insect damage), a long-nosed fish (marlin or dolphin), and a long tailed pig with five spines on its back and what are possibly five teats on its belly. The red and black paint is used in a subtle way creating form and depth on this very thin object.

Possibly Ndende Island, Santa Cruz Islands, Solomon Islands, Para-Polynesia. Wood with black & red pigments.

24.5 x 2 x 11.3 x 10.5 cm. 19/20th century.

Ex coll. : US Army Major Paul R. Hasson, collected between 1930 and 1942 ; Allan Dunfee. Ill. : The Evolution and Revival of Material Culture in the Solomon Islands, by Allan Dunfee in Oceanic Art Society Newsletter. Vol. 8, issue 4, August 2003, Woollahra. There is an identical example with more ornate paint work in the Museum voor Land-en Volkenkunde, Rotterdam illustrated page 97 in Graebner, 1909. Ill.: Meyer, Anthony JP.: OCEANIC HEADRESTS / APPUIE-NUQUE OCEANIENS. Catalogue d'exposition. Galerie Meyer, Paris. 2004, fig. 46, P. 65.