Large Trobriand Islands Hand Carved "Fish" Food Bowl

A beautifully Hand Carved FISH shaped Food Platter all done from one piece of wood . The Food Dish is 25 1/2" in length and 8 1/4" in width at widest point. Note the use of a small shell for the eye and the lovely detailed decorative work. This is a vintage piece...perhaps 40-50 years old. The Trobriand Islands are a 450-square-kilometre (174-square-mile) archipelago of coral atolls off the east coast of New Guinea. They are part of the nation of Papua New Guinea and are in Milne Bay Province. Most of the population of 12,000 indigenous inhabitants live on the main island of Kiriwina, which is also the location of the government station, Losuia. Other major islands in the group are Kaileuna, Vakuta, and Kitava. The group is considered to be an important tropical rain forest eco-region in need of conservation.