World Cultures Gallery
Map of New Guinea showing ‘kula’
routes
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‘Kula’
‘Kula’ is a special ritual of exchange in the islands north-east of New Guinea.
Men travel by canoe to visit their ‘kula’ partners on other islands and exchange necklaces and bracelets made from shell. Necklaces are always exchanged for bracelets. This means necklaces always travel clockwise around the ring of islands and bracelets anti-clockwise.
Participants in ‘kula’ gain fame and status if they can give or receive well-known objects. Some ‘kula’ valuables have personal names.
Take a closer look at some objects associated with ‘kula’.
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