Scarce South Pacific Ethnic Art Trobriand Mother Of Pearl Hand Carved Fish

This is a beautiful completely hand carved hand crafted Melanesian (remote Massim region) kwila sculpture seen on photos  with many inserts of circles of mother of pearl added for additional beauty, these little circles or tears of pearl shell are glued with natural gum glues or sap obtained from trees after an insert is first created to fit them, from the isolated , beautifully carved by a local master carver with rudimentary tools. We show pictures of people and yam houses we took when we go there.

Amazingly perfect considering the basic tools used such as pieces of broken shells, rusted nails from shipwrecks found on the beaches, and sea ray, shark skin or an animal horn or tusk rubbed for days against the surface till all is smooth, among other sanding materials, and to produce a sheen on the wood.

It is very hard to come across such collectibles unless you go to these remote islands.