<em>Ornament (Kapkap)</em>, 19th or early 20th century. Tridacna shell, tortoise shell, fiber string, shell bead, 5 1/2 x 5 1/2 x 3/16 in. (14 x 14 x 0.5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Marcia and John Friede and Mrs. Melville W. Hall, 87.218.98. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 87.218.98_bw.jpg)

Ornament (Kapkap)

Medium: Tridacna shell, tortoise shell, fiber string, shell bead

Geograhical Locations:

Dates:19th or early 20th century

Dimensions: 5 1/2 x 5 1/2 x 3/16 in. (14 x 14 x 0.5 cm)

Collections:

Accession Number: 87.218.98

Image: 87.218.98_bw.jpg,

Catalogue Description:
Ornament (kap-kap) made of large disk of white shell and smaller disk of thin openwork tortoiseshell. Front of white shell has incised border of crosshatched triangles; tortoiseshell, which is attached to white shell with string and one small shell bead, has an elaborate flowerlike design. From accession card: Ornament ("kap-kap"); large circle of white tridacna shell with incised border of crosshatched triangles on front. Attached to front surface with string and held in place with a tiny white shell bead is a smaller circle of very thin openwork tortoiseshell in elaborate flower-like pattern. Condition: very good. On the back in fading brown ink is written: "Papitalai Manus," and in black (also faded): "Papitali [or Tupitalai] Manus auf Bougainville." Also written is "Admiralty Islands Br 475" On metal stand.

Brooklyn Museum