Presentation shell c.1950-52
Shell, mother of pearl | 20.6 x 20.2 cm (whole object) | RCIN 99508
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A carved mother-of-pearl shell from the Cook Islands. Carved with the prows of a double canoe bearing figures, said to be the canoe in which 'Polynesians first voyaged south to New Zealand'.
The shell was shaped and polished by Ron Powell. The carving is attributed to Pikai and Matakite Rangi Malo.Provenance
Presented to Queen Elizabeth II by Makea Nui Teremoana, Ariki (High Chief) of the Cook Islands, on the occasion of her Coronation in 1953, with another carved shell, RCIN 91734.
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Medium and techniques
Shell, mother of pearl
Measurements
20.6 x 20.2 cm (whole object)