- CONFERENCE TITLE: Oceanic Passages ... CLICK HERE TO MAKE THE LINK
- Venue: School of Art, Hunter St. Hobart
- Organisation: CAIA (Colonialism And Its Aftermath) – University of Tasmania
- Paper's Title: Truganini's Necklaces ... CLICK HERE TO MAKE THE LINK
TASMANIAN SHELL NECKLACE RESEARCH
A Research Project focus upon uncovering the stories linked to shell necklace making in Tasmania before colonisation, post European settlement and in its contemporary context. The Tasmanian Shell Necklace Research Network is particularly interested in the ways shell necklaces have been used as cultural identifiers, cultural gifts and souvenirs of Tasmania.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
CONFERENCE PAPER NOW ONLINE – Tasmanian Shell Necklace Making
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Truganini Necklaces
Truganini may well have been making 'rishell' necklaces at Wybalena on Flinders Island but not at these dates. However women on the Furneaux have to have started using these shells at sometime as they do today and it seems they have been using smaller shells for a very long time post contact when cotton thread and steel needles became available.
The likelihood is that this necklace, and others like it, were euphemistically known as 'Truganini Necklaces’. As likely as not it was made on the Furneaux Islands by one of the Tasmanian Aboriginal women who found themselves there in various circumstances. Also, there is nothing to suggest that Truganini might have been using these shells but it is a possibility albeit an outside one. The circumstantial evidence for Truganini making or owning this necklace seems to be missing.
The necklace on the right could also have originated on the Furneaux Islands as stated given that the shells are most likely juvenile maireener shells. If this is the case, and there is provenance at the TMAG to support that – circumstantial or concrete – then most likely this necklace is a part of that Furneaux Island Tasmanian Aboriginal women’s cultural practice.
Alternatively, given its date, and if there is no provenance information as is often the case, this necklace almost equally could be a ‘Hobart Necklace’ of the period and made by the thousands given that it seems there is growing evidence for that scale of commercial production in Hobart late 19th C early 20th C.
Tasmanian Aboriginal authenticity of production is entirely dependant upon the provenance now – circumstantial & concrete. However there is reason to suspect that there may have been commercial inhibitions in regard to using juvenile shells in Hobart Necklaces. More shells take longer to string and are thus less profitable to make. It seems that necklaces with juvenile shells did turn up in Launceston at “Wonderland Curious & Souvenirs” and, circumstantially, as likely as not this shop was sourcing its necklaces on the Furneaux Islands.
This necklace, without clear provenance, would be typical of the necklaces that are possibly best regarded as ambiguous – albeit quintessential Tasmaniana. It must be said that there is good oral histories that says that Furneaux Island women were selling their shell necklaces in Launceston to various shops and provedores for a very long time. This trade it seems was quite separate from the Hobart Necklace trade.
NB: The description of these necklaces in this publication reflects the best understanding at the time – 1988. In the early 1990s there was an increase in the numbers of necklaces being produced as a part of a cultural development.retrieval project.
The Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter UK returned a provenanced "Truganini Necklaces" to the Tasmania Aboriginal community in 1997.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Monday, February 8, 2010
Fugitive Shell Necklace Production In Tasmania
It seems that by-and-large they were made by a relatively small group of Tasmanians as children, sometimes aided by adult family members, while “holidaying at the beach.” Nonetheless, now that people are beginning to talk more openly about this aspect of family memories, and memorabilia, it seems quite likely that more first and secondhand stories, and firsthand recollections, will emerge. With this a better idea of the scale of the activity will be gleaned.
If the shell necklace making mimicked Indigenous necklace making and at the same time provided a diversion on “wet and windy days”, this is not particularly surprising.
Yet somehow, these necklaces still seem to carry some kind of colonial subtexts to do with Aboriginal dispossession while reflecting Tasmania's settler communities’ yearnings to be connected to place. These stories are ever likely to be very local stories with a colonial flipside of a kind and the kind that oftentimes are likely to be lost.
It has been suggested that some of these necklaces have been unknowingly donated to museums and the National Trust. The network would welcome any further information readers may have.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
IN REVIEW
IN REVIEW
HOBART NECKLACES
Occasional Papers:
1. The M M Martin enterprise established 1875 LINKS:
- M M Martin Shell Necklace Enterprise Hobart Tasmania in context
- The Martin Family
- A. Butterfield Image Hobart
3. The necklaces advertised – LINK:
4. Bertie May 'Hobart Necklace' maker circa late 1940s-1950s – LINK:
5. Shell Information – LINK:
Friday, January 8, 2010
Shell Necklaces Online
- SHELL NECKLACE FILE – 2010
- Found on eBAY_ Maireener shell necklace - Australia, Melbourne
- Found on eBAY: Maireener Shells – Australia WA
- Found on eBAY: Maireener Shells USA
- Found on eBAY: Shell Necklace – USA
- Found on eBAY: Shell Necklace – UK
- Found on eBAY: Maireener Shell Necklace – Melbourne/AUS
- eBAY Find – Mairneener Neclace(?) Melb/Australia
- Found on eBAY: Maireener Shell Necklace – Australia Qld
- Found on eBAY_ Santa Cruz USA
- Found via eBAY _ Vintage Tasmanian Kelp Shell/Maireener Necklace – Australia
- Found on eBAY: Maireener Shell Necklace – UK
- eBAY FIND: October 2009
- Maireener Found On The Internet – Australia 3052, Vic.
- INTERNET FIND – Tasmanian Maireener Shell Necklaces
- NOT MAIREENERS – Leis From Hawaii
- Found Via eBAY: Maireener Shell Necklace – USA
- Found On The Internet – A Research Tool
- Found On The Internet – NOT Tasmanian or Tasmaniana
- Found On The Internet – Tasmanian Authenticity
- Found On The Internet – Tasmanian Authenticity
- Found On The Internet – Tasmanian Authenticity
- eBAY Find – Maireener Necklace(?) USA
- Found on RUBYlane – USA
- eBAY Find – Maireener Necklace(?) USA
- Found on eBAY: Maireener Shell Necklace – UK 2
- eBAY Find – Maireener Neclace, Southern UK
- Found via eBAY _ Maireener necklace in the USA
- Found on eBAY: Shell Necklace – TAS
- Found on eBAY: Maireener Shell Necklace – UK
Monday, December 14, 2009
Found on eBAY_ Maireener shell necklace - Australia, Melbourne
It also seems that during that time the numbers produced were indeed quite large based upon the evidence of a court case in Hobart 1907 where one John Ward was found guilty of stealing approx 100 dozen of what seems to be this kind of necklaces from the Hobart Wharf. More information can be found on all this in earlier posts.
The QUALITY of this necklace here seems to be very good but as with other such necklaces, unless there is clear and unambiguous provenance for its Aboriginal authenticity, increasingly its authenticity should be regarded as “ambiguous” if Aboriginal authenticity is the value determinant.
There are necklaces in collections – private and public, Australian and internatinal – with clear Tasmanian Aboriginal cultural produdution authenticity – contemporary, vintage and antique. However, it now seems that circumstantial evidence by itself would be insufficent to claim "Tasmania Aboriginal authenticity."
Vintage Aboriginal Mairreener Mariner Shell Necklace
Auction Ended 18 Dec, 2009 19:59:34 AEDST – 13 bids Winning bid: AU $405.00
Item number: 380186076930 Item location: Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Found on eBAY: Maireener Shells – Australia WA
If there is clear provenance, and there is within Tasmanian Aboriginal families, circumstance and oral histories can be relied upon to assert authenticity – see earlier posts. The shell necklaces made by Tasmanian Aboriginal people are now regarded as "Cultural Heritage Icon" status in Tasmania but this depends upon Aboriginal authenticity.
The seller here relies upon museums holding such necklaces in their collections thus by implication suggesting that this can be relied upon in underwriting authenticity. For many of these 'museum necklaces' there is indeed clear authenticity – generally contemporary examples with named makers. Nonetheless, there are some necklaces in various museums – Australia & elsewhere possibly – for which their authenticity is ambiguous.
None of this takes anything away from the quality of the shells or the visual aesthetic appeal of these necklaces. If their 'value' depends on this alone there is no problem. Something is always worth what is paid for on this criteria! However, if value depends upon 'Aboriginal authenticity' there are unresolved issues to be addressed. This is a work in progress.
Bidding Ended: 23 Dec, 2009 @ 01:59:01 AEDST
2 Bids & Winning Bid: AU $91.50