Soapstone; circular piece with one perforation in center; used as money for brideprice and other prestige transactions; said to be not made by man, but by the “forefathers”; each piece has its own name and history
Donor:
William G. Daniel
Collection place:
Erromango Island, Tafea Province, Vanuatu
Culture or time period:
Melanesian
Materials:
Soapstone (metamorphic rock)
Object type:
ethnography
Function:
7.4 Non-issued Media of Exchange, Symbolic Valuables, and Associated Containers
Accession date:
1966
Context of use:
Used as money for brideprice and other prestige transactions; said to be not made by man, but by the “forefathers”; each piece has its own name and history.