Credit line: Palauan Storyboard, circa 1970, Gift of Janice M. Johnson, 2001, U.S. Department of the Interior Museum, INTR 02158
Context: The Republic of Palau is an island nation in the western Pacific. Similar to motifs appearing on a Palauan community meeting hall, wooden storyboards depict scenes from island legends. The maker of this piece is not known, but the imagery conveys the story of “Balang Ra Rebeluulechab - Yapese Money.”
Descriptive text: 3D model of hand-carved storyboard from the Republic of Palau. It is a flat piece of varnished wood in an imperfect oval shape 23 inches long, 8.25 inches high, and 0.5 inches deep. The scene on the front depicts three stylized human figures in right profile lunging toward a fourth figure kneeling on a canoe-like boat with a large piece of Yap stone money strapped to the bow. The figure on the boat has turned his upper torso to face the oncoming figures. A second piece of Yap stone money is onshore at left, threaded with a long bamboo pole for carrying.
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