Dyed maireener Necklace

This necklace is entirely as described and no claims were made for that could not be substaniated. There are two obvious options for its origin. The first being the Hobart souvenir trader Bertie May who is known to have produced dyed necklaces such as this. He was active 1940s>>1960. The other option being a maker linked to the Martin family who started producing shell necklaces in Hobart in 1875 and were known tom be trading in 1927.

Earnest Mawle's Report of 1918 is a key reference that contextualises to some extent the 'industry' that produced Hobart Necklaces. Mawle's report refers to the dying of shells. There is beginning to be increasing evidence that Bertie May's production may be able to be distinguished from the dyed shell necklaces of producers/marketers like the Martins.

May's dyeing seems to be more intense in its colouration while necklaces that seem to be older than his are less intense and somewhat more subtle. There is no evidence that Tasmanian Aboriginal makers dyed their shells but it cannot be dismissed out of hand. On the balance of probability, this example seems to be older than May's production and more likely to be of non-Aboriginal production than Tasmanian Aboriginal.

Like all such necklaces there is quite a bit of ambiguity about this example.