The Solomon Islands, an archipelago that rests between New Britain and Vanuatu in the south Pacific, is renowned for its remarkable decorative arts. Solomon Islands artists make detailed ornaments to adorn the human body and embellish ceremonial and utilitarian objects, working with wood but also extensively with shells, porpoise teeth, and other materials. Mother-of-pearl, giant clams(tridacna), and turtles are the primary sources of shells for jewelry and ornaments, chosen for their beauty and resilience.  

 The present group of objects represents a diverse range of carved ornaments and utilitarian implements that were worn and used by Solomon Islands peoples, encompassing fishing lures, nose and ear ornaments, and pendants. While all show a refined control of their medium, the pendants (ulute or papfita) and earplug (ulawa) made from the whitish tridacna shell demonstrate the well-known penchant for detailed design in theSolomon Islands tradition, with extensive geometric and organic motifs incised in their surfaces. Piscine and avian imagery are abundant in the art of this region, with the frigate bird holding special symbolism of strength and protection. Such motifs are found in a number of these objects, in varying degrees of abstraction.

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