Wooden Trobriand Island Miniature Yam House Kaduwaga Village 9.25"

Description

Wooden Trobriand Island Miniature Yam House Kaduwaga Village. Shipped with USPS Priority Mail.
It measures 9.25" x 2.5" x 3". This unusual yam house was collected on the Kaileuna Island of the Trobriand Islands, in the Kaduwaga Village about 30 years ago. It was hand carved by a village man from heavy wood, with dots of mother of pearl. There is a small crack running along the side of the house. This does not damage the integrity of the house and was present when purchased by my parents on their travels.
Trobriand islands lie 100 miles north of the North East corner of Papua New Guinea in the Solomon Sea. They are comprised of a cluster of small, coral islands and each of these islands is the home to families living in small villages.  The basis of the economy is gardening, mostly growing yams, coconut, papaya banana and betel nut.
When my parents traveled there in 1997 their small ship docked just off the beaches of many of these islands. They used a tender to transfer to the beach and then walked to the villages. Almost every one of these had a tall yam house in the center of the grouping of stilt homes built of bamboo and thatch.
Yams are very important to the islanders, not only for food, but also significant other ceremonial functions within the village. Carefully constructed to allow for proper circulation, yam houses keep these yams from spoiling for up to eight months.  When the yam houses are full, a man performs a magic spell for the hamlet that wards off hunger by making people feel full. Each year a man grows yams for his sister and daughter if she is married. The more yams a woman receives, the more powerful and rich she is.
On Vacation from July 11th to July 18th.  All items will ship on July 19th.