Oceania, Gilbert Islands, ca. 19th century CE. One of my favorite items! A spear made from a thick shaft of coconut wood, studded with four vertical rows of tightly-spaced shark's teeth that rise roughly two-thirds of the way up the blade length; as the blade tapers to a point, two of the shark tooth rows end, so that the last third has two vertical rows of teeth before terminating in a rounded point at the top. Each shark's tooth has been painstakingly sewn into place using te koro, twine made from coconut fiber. The wood was shaped using stone knives. The darker colored twine seen at top and bottom is probably made from human hair. It is amazing that the creators of this weapon were able to drill through the shark teeth in such a uniform fashion, given the hardness of the material. Size: 1.35" W x 29.75" H (3.4 cm x 75.6 cm); 31" H (78.7 cm) on included custom stand.

Some researchers have noted the similarities in shape between these weaponized shark teeth and traditional Gilbert Islands canoe sails, which were also supported on masts of coconut wood. This type of spear was used during ceremonial warfare, when ritual duels took place in order to maintain honor. Along with these weapons, warriors wore suits of armor made from thickly woven coconut fiber and a belt made from stingray skin, as well as a helmet made from a hollowed-out, dried puffer fish. Shark teeth were sewn into the backs of the armor gloves for when the fighting got close. Some historical photographs of the full costume are available here: https://wiki.ucl.ac.uk/display/BBCollabSupport/An+Ethnographic+Analysis+of+a+Kiribati+Shark-Toothed+Sword

Provenance: private Newport Beach, California, USA collection

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#133694

Tip may be lost. Slight fraying to string, otherwise in beautiful condition, with all shark teeth present, although a few have some losses. Shark teeth show a nice, light patina that has developed over time.