Adornment
Grass skirts, tortoise shell fans, and dance paddles were collected by both Richard Emerick and others who visited Micronesia and Melanesia in the mid-twentieth century. These objects showcase the rich fiber and decorative traditions of Oceania. Fans included sections of hawksbill sea turtle shell, a critically endangered species. Grass skirts use a variety of coconut and pandanus palm, hibiscus banana leaves, and other plant and tree materials. Dance paddles and love sticks represent distinctive Micronesian carving traditions with love stick designs identifying the owner of the object.
Love Sticks
c. 1950
Chuuk, Caroline Islands
Emerick Collection
Collected by Richard Emerick, love sticks from Chuuk (then known as Truk) were carved by men as part of their courtship rituals. Men carved unique designs on their sticks and would stick them through the side of a hut in which there was a woman they were interested in courting. Women could identify potential suitors and show that they were interested in a man by keeping the stick. Otherwise the stick would be pushed back out of the hut’s side and the man sent on his way.
Grass Skirt
c. 1940
New Guinea
White Collection
This skirt is one of a set of four collected by an Orono, Maine resident, who had a long and distinguished career as a United States Foreign Service Officer. During World War II, he was stationed in Papua, New Guinea with the Australian Military Forces. Trade items he acquired included baskets, bows and arrows, canoe models, grass skirts, and spoons.
