Barava: land title deeds in fossil shell from the western Solomon Islands: Tuhinga 15

Tuhinga 15: 17 - 26

ABSTRACT: Following fieldwork in the Solomon Islands and the tracing of residual traditional knowledge in Ranongga Island, a large fretworked Tridacna shell plaque, known as a ‘barava’, held in the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa collection, can now be reinterpreted as originally a land title deed. This review proposes a revision of the generic term ‘barava’ to cover a wide range of Tridacna shell plaques, and seeks to restore something of its original social context to the Te Papa plaque.

KEYWORDS: Melanesian art forms, Solomon Islands, artefacts of Tridacna shell, barava.