feather money

Santa Cruz feather money in a double coil with its original wrapping. The strips of feather money are woven in to a cone of coconut fibre cordage, into which are tied red feathers of the honey creeper. The end of each strip is tied off with a tab possibly made of shark skin, and danglers of half coix shells. Both coils are woven in five turns around a central spool of bark. At one point on the outside of the coil a pair of white gastropod shells are attached, and here as well as at the end of the danglers, small shaped tabs of coins on cloth are tied in. The whole is wrapped in four layers. The first layer is comprised of palm leaves, the second of brown trade calico, and the third is a smoked course bark cloth. The last layer is a piece of hessian sacking. The whole has been tied together with a chocolate brown coconut fibre cord with a double twist.

Collection Information

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