Kap Kap were worn as pendants or forehead ornaments by the men in the Solomon Islands. Worn in battle and at festivals, these ornaments symbolized personal wealth and status. The white disk is carved from the fossilized shell of the Tridacna, a large sea clam. The brown inner disk is carved from tortoiseshell. The technique involved drilling small holes with a “pisu mongu”, a drill fitted with a bow and operated by hand. The openings were shaped using a “riku”, an aerial root of a bush creeper.
 
We purchased this piece from the owner, Peter Maipo, who gave us a postcard which features a photo of himself wearing the piece. The kap kap has been professionally mounted and framed here in Kauai.
Possibly created in the late 1800’s.
A similar piece is held at the Minneapolis Institute of Art.
Framed 13"H x 13"w X 1.5"D