Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Sumba Island, East Sumbanese people, ca. 19th century CE. A massive hand-carved woman's ornamental comb known as a Hai Kara Jangga made of sea turtle shell. The slightly curved profile is formed from a single piece that has dozens of tines along the lower third and an ornate open work finial. The motif contains a large central peacock with the tail fanned out behind the bird's head, and flanking the sides are pairs of peacocks in profile with their wings raised and tails fanned out. Aristocratic women wore these combs like crowns during special events and festivals, and the animals depicted were associated with power and fertility and the turtle shell itself was also a symbol of nobility. These combs were especially precious heirlooms and stored within the upper peak of the clan house for safe keeping when not in use. Size: 7" L x 5.8" H (17.8 cm x 14.7 cm)For a similar example, please see the Metropolitan Museum of Art website, accession number: 1987.447.15.Several states and countries prohibit the importation of materials from endangered species, including tortoise shell / sea turtle shell. Please check your country’s laws before bidding on this piece. We guarantee that the piece was made prior to 1973 Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection, acquired from 1995 to 2010 All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping. #168534