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Auction Location:
Sydney
Date:
17-Aug-2015
Lot No.
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Description:
Nine fine red feather money sticks, Santa Cruz Islands, feather money is used in Santa Cruz as a form of currency. The supply is limited by the availability of the feathers used and the man-hours involved in its manufacture by a few hereditary specialists. One man locates the small scarlet honeyeater birds (Myzomela cardinalis) living in the rain forest, and traps them using sticky perches. He then plucks the feathers from their heads, breasts and backs and lets them go alive so as to keep the population stable. These were acquired from an Australian Expat that lived in the Solomon Islands for over 50 years. 35 cm
Estimate:
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Price:
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Category:
Tribal: S/E Asia, Oceania & Pacific