Wedding coin, Dani, Highlands Region, Papua New Guinea Height: 51 cm Stone, plant fibers, and fur. Green stone marriage coins played an essential role in ceremonial exchanges in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea. Combining a carefully polished stone slab with plant fibers (in this case, from an orchid) and opossum fur, they were presented during marriage alliances and constituted true status symbols, passed down and preserved as markers of wealth and social status. Traces of red pigments on the back of this stone attest to its age. Provenance: Australian Gallery. See: Giquello, Paris, November 8, 2023, lot 88 for a comparable example.