A Superb and Rare Marshall Islands Tridacna Shell Pounder, Republic of the Marshall Islands

rikenen, made from the shell of the giant clam (tridacna gigas), the pounder of overall elegant proportions, rising from a cylindrical shaft and merging into an oval flattened blade with pointed top; exceptionally fine white-golden patina with milk-white enclosures.

K. John Hewett, Bog Farm
Christie's, New York, November 20, 1997, lot 20
Merton D. Simpson, New York
Werner Muensterberger, New York

excellent condition overall; minor nicks and scratches from traditional use; exceptionally fine white-golden patina with milk-white enclosures.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Pounders known as rikenen or triginin were made in the Marshall Islands from wood and with greater rarity from the shell of the giant clam (tridacna gigas). While both wood and shell pounders were used during the sophisticated process of making plaited coconut fibre mats, shell pounders were also objects of prestige which would have been owned by the female members of important families. They were maternal heirlooms, passed down from generation to generation. Shell pounders can therefore be of considerable age.

Giant clams are the largest living bivalve molluscs. Weighing sometimes more than 500 pounds and measuring as much as four feet across, they have an average lifespan of sixty to seventy years. Pounders, which were made from the hinge of the shell, were laborious to make. The process involved first shifting the heavy clam out of the water, and then breaking the shell with large stones and placing appropriate fragments in fresh-water ponds, in order to cause a gradual disintegration of the material's surface. Eventually, the now soft top layer of the shell would be scraped of, up to one quarter of an inch at a time. The last two steps of the procedure would be repeated until the desired shape was reached.

The function of the pounders was first described by Krämer (1906: 411-413). The edges of the pounders were used to break pandanus leaves into fine (ca. 2mm) filaments, which were then plaited with hibiscus fibers into mats of elaborate geometric design. The woven mat was then burnished with the flat side of the pounder, creating a glossy surface. Such mats were worn by woman, as well as chiefs. See Treide (1997: 224, text to no. 45) for further discussion of a plaited mat in the Museum für Völkerkunde, Leipzig ('Mi 2822'), acquired in 1909.

The present lot is a superb example of this extremely rare type of object. Perfectly balanced and harmonious, it ascends to the same elegance and simplicity as sculptures by Hans Arp or Constantine Brancusi.