Rice shell necklace by Joan Brown
Maker
Joan Brown
(1932-2001)
Date1998
Object number00030305
NameNecklace
MediumSea shells, cotton/nylon
DimensionsOverall: 830 x 12 mm, 0.04 kg
ClassificationsClothing and personal items
Credit LineANMM Collection
DescriptionA necklace made by Joan Brown from rice shells (also called rye shells), toothie shells and button shells. The shells are hand threaded onto cotton / nylon string. The design comprises approximately 25 beige coloured rice shells, alongside a smaller number of white toothie shells, alongside a [repeated] group of beige coloured rice shells, alongside two brown/beige button shells, with pattern repeated around necklace. The button shells are the largest, followed by the toothie shells, and the rice shells are the smallest.
Joan Brown was born on Cape Barren Island in 1932. She learnt to make necklaces by watching her mother and grandmother. As a child Joan was not allowed to help make the necklaces, she took it up herself in her early thirties.HistoryThis shell necklace has been made using traditional techniques of collecting, preparing, stringing and polishing.These techniques have been handed down through generations of women of the Palawa (Tasmanian Aboriginal) culture.
A variety of delicate shells are used which are collected in different ways,eg:rice shells are collected alive and treated,toothies are collected dead.
The collection of shells is an expensive and time consuming practice because of their location, their size and increasing scarcity.There is concern as to the maintenance of this traditional practice.
A maireener shell necklace is the most highly prized form of th tradition,these necklaces being of the greatest cultural significance.The very long processing time ,the techniques and specific date and place where maireener are collected contribute to the various colourations in the shell.The colour of maireener can be controlled in the blue, green, purple and azure colour ranges.
SignificanceShell necklaces are extremely precious, particularly the mother-of-pearl mareener shells that are now in short supply. They can only be collected at certain times during the year. It can take months or even years of work to produce one necklace, as it is a painstaking job to collect, clean and string the shells. Each maker has her own preferred way of
stringing the shells in unique combinations and patterns.
