Chest ornament for men from the northern coast of Papua New Guinea; from the region of Aitape in the Yotafa Bay, previously Humboldt Bay (between Djajapura and Wewak). The heart-shaped object consists out of a rattan mesh and sector-shaped insets from boar's tusks. The mesh is coated with resin in which originally the seeds of the jequirity bean / rosary pea (Abrus precatorius) were pressed in. Yet these fell off. The resin sections are edged with a decoration that consists out of cords on which shells of the casket nassa sea snail (Nassarius arcularia) are threaded. On top, there is a thicker cord that was hung around the neck; below and sideways there are many thinner plant fibre cords applied.
This type of chest ornament was widespread on the north coast of New Guinea, worn for celebrations and also had the function of a badge of rank. The number of boar's teeth reflected the prestige of the wearer. Only men were allowed to wear boar's teeth.
The object comes from the collection of pharmacist, writer and doctor Albert Daiber (1857 - 1928), who undertook a journey to the South Seas from April to September 1900, which took him to then German and British colonial territories. Stops included Australia, the Bismarck Archipelago, the eastern part of the island of New Guinea, the Caroline Islands, the Mariana Islands and China (Hong Kong). Daiber described his experiences in the published travelogue "Eine Australien- und Südseefahrt" from 1902. In 1909, Albert Daiber emigrated to Chile. Beforehand he has given the collected objects from his voyage to Otto Leube in Ulm, who initially stored the collection and after Albert Daiber's death gave it to the Museum of the City of Ulm as a deposit in 1930.
en
