Tevau Red Feather Currency Solomon Santa Cruz Island

Origin: Santa Cruz Island, Solomon, Nemboi Village, 19th/20th Century

Dimensions: 35x24in with stand

Condition: There is wear in the feathers

Additional Information: A red feather bird currency Tevau coil from Nemboi Village in the Santa Cruz Islands of Solomon. The piece is made from plucking the few red feathers of a Scarlet Honey Eater bird. 60,000 birds were used to complete this Tevau. The piece is finished with a beaded shell embellishments and represent wealth and status. Tevaus were highly prized generational bride prices. They would be stored in the ceiling wrapped in banana leaves of traditional family huts. This piece comes with a custom made steel stand.

This kind of currency was manufactured by three skilled craftsmen, esteemed for their ability to communicate with the spirits. The first specialist captured and collect red feathers from scarlet honeyeaters. The second craftsmen fabricated the plant plates and glued the red feathers to gray ones taken from pacific pigeons, and then attached these to a long coil of twined fibers. Then wound the resulting belt in towards the middle, and provided finishing details, such as bark fibers, shells, seeds, and pieces of turtle shell. The last specialist would put the coil through a prayer.

In some situations the bird was captured by glue on the tree branches, plucked of their feathers, and then released to be captured again. Many would die due to the capturing process.

Reportedly purchased from Joe Loux, CA. and from the collection of John and Domenique De Menil, Houston, Tx. and formerly in the De Menil Museum collection of Houston, Tx.