Woman’s headdress
Malekula Island, Vanuatu
about 1910
FM132951
Women on Malekula Island put great time and effort into raising pigs. In a public ceremony, women sacrifice their pigs and distribute the meat. To tally the number of sows she has sacrificed, a woman adds knobs to her basketry headdress. The more knobs, the greater her prestige.

Sometimes the road to prestige is paved with the gifts we give away
People have discovered that sharing the wealth can help maintain the delicate balance between what we need for daily life and what the environment provides.

Under those circumstances, prestige accrues to people who use their own time and labor (or persuade others to use theirs) for the benefit of all. Their prestige is reflected in special ornaments or decorations their society allows them to own or wear.
Links
Curators's Message
Center for Cultural Understanding and Change
Anthropology
Acknowledgements
© 1998. The Field Museum, Roosevelt Road at Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605-2496. (312) 922-9410. All rights reserved.