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Volume 5 54 |
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A–Z |  |
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ISLAND CHIEFS' ARTISTIC BADGE OF OFFICE |
WHERE THE HEART'S VANITY IS DISPLAYED |
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| The ornaments, called tarkolas, seen hanging on the chests of these natives, are the peculiar property of chiefs on the island of Vella Lavella. The ring is cut out of clam-shell and backed by a circle of tortoiseshell, from which depend red, white, and blue beads in stripes, fringed with opossum teeth | Large ear-rings are one of the outward and visible signs of native pride in personal appearance on Nias island, on the western coast of Sumatra. The discomfort of these ear-ornaments is forgotten in the ostentatious pride that distinguishes their wearer |