Marieneer shell and Toothie shell necklace
Maker
Joan Brown
(1932-2001)
Date1998
Object number00030304
NameNecklace
MediumShell, cotton/nylon, marieneer shell and toothie shell necklace
DimensionsOverall: 840 x 12 mm, 0.06 kg
ClassificationsClothing and personal items
Credit LineANMM Collection
DescriptionMarieneer and Toothie shell necklace made by Joan Brown, Cape Barren, Tasmania. SignificanceJoan Brown was a member of the Aboriginal community on Cape Barren and continued the long tradition of collecting tiny shells to string into necklaces.Nowadays, pollution, over-collecting and fishing activities mean that the maireener shells – especially the larger ones – are becoming increasingly hard to find. Palawa shellwork, which was widely collected from the 19th century as curios and souvenirs – once an unknown part of community sustenance and survival – has, since the 1990s, been much sought after by collectors and institutions around the world as a contemporary cultural practice, assisting Palawa women to maintain this particular important cultural practice.
