This shell necklace was acquired in Indonesia and likely arrived there from nearby Papua New Guinea through trade. In Papua New Guinea, shells are highly valuable, especially far from the beaches in the Highland region. Shell pectorals were used for ornamentation and as a form of currency. They were traded extensively from the coastal regions where they were found into the inland areas where they were highly prized by other tribes. Worn at festivals and rituals by both men and women, these ornaments were symbols of status, prosperity, and wealth.