Nose Ornament

Of tridacna shell. This is the elegant form and suitable for a man of great prestige only, hence called tamono ni arafa or tamono ni mwana rafa "tamono of a big man". This specimen was never finished because man for whom it was being made died. Were it finished it would have a slit through to center hole where it would fasten to nasal septum. Broken parts were deliberately destroyed as part of mourning. It was kept as a memento of the man, Terikito who was grand or great-grandmother's brother to Nimamima of Gupuna who gave the specimen.