maireener and trochus shells
205
A GROUP OF FIVE TASMANIAN
SHELL NECKLACES
maireener and trochus shells
variable lengths, 90.0 cm longest
Estimate:
$2,000 – 3,000 (5)
Sold for $1,952 (inc. BP) in Auction 41 - 2 December 2015, Sydney
Catalogue text
For another example see: Kleinert, S. and Neale, M., Aboriginal Art and Culture, Oxford University Press, New York, 2000 p. 698: Kleinert notes ‘Ideally the necklace makers like to collect maireener shells, a common shell used in the necklaces, on a low spring tide as most are gathered by hand while walking knee deep in sea water... the shells then undergo a series of cleaning, drying and polishing before they are laid out to dry, once dry they are pierced with a sharp tool. Traditionally the women threaded the shells together using a length of double strength thread which is doubled again for even more strength’.