New Guinea Shell & Stone Nose Pieces-New Guinea Art-Oceanic Art
When I was field collecting, I frequently came across shell, bone or stone nose pieces. I guess it was because these were small, durable and tangible reminders of their grandparent’s culture that were easily passed down and kept by the following generations. Often, they were brought forth by an old man with a still pierced septum that grimaced as he stuffed the piece through the shrunken hole in his nose to the delight of the crowd. Here is a set of fine tridacna clamshell nose pieces from various cultures throughout Papua New Guinea. I know some of the longer ones came from Oro Province and others from the West Sepik. They are all 19th century, if not earlier, range in size from 3” (7.5 cm) to 7 ¼” (18.3 cm) in height.