Fine beaded armband, Vanuatu. (WWP)

This very attractive 20th century armband, probably from Malekula, has a woven vegetable fibre base covered in small trade seed beads sewn on in a geometric repeat pattern. Many Pacific societies readily adopted imported glass beads into their traditional body adornments in place of black and white shell discs as their use added status and colour to traditional forms and patterns. The triangular repeat pattern on this armband is mostly executed in orange, white and blue, but a so often happens in tribal societies, when there are not quite enough beads (which are relatively expensive) to finish a pattern other colours are substituted. This armband has a few triangles in black and light blue instead of royal blue, an one in red instead of orange. Width 4 cm / 1 ½ inches, diameter 8 cm /3 ¼ inches.

Price:$350.00 AUD
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