Bontoc Tikam or Hip/Waist Ornament

A crisp ring of diamonds, then a ring of tiny arches, all spinning around a dark center.

This tikam, or hip/waist ornament, is Bontoc, from the Philippines, and dates to the early 20th century, in mother of pearl. Highland peoples of the northern Philippines often made bold, geometric ornaments from shell, metal and fiber, and the Bontoc tikam is one of the best known. The pearl shell here is especially bright, with a wide incised band of diamonds and chevrons along the top and a fringe of small scallops just inside it. A flat dark disc, slotted at the middle, sits slightly below center. The thick lip curls at the lower left. It is 7 inches wide and 6.75 high.

Geometry with a pearly glow.