Royal Commonwealth Society : Navigational chart: Rebbelib or general chart of the Marshall Islands group (formerly 1927-8)

Royal Commonwealth Society

<p style='text-align: justify;'> One of a collection of four traditional 'stick charts' produced in the Marshall Islands archipelago, possibly in or around Jaluit Atoll; the date and makers are unknown. </p><p style='text-align: justify;'> Navigational chart, made of straight and curved wooden sticks, palm or cotton fibre ties, and shells. This chart is thought to a <i>Rebbelib</i> or overall type, used for navigational rather than instructional purposes. The chart was made by an unknown Marshalese maker, and the chain of islands has not been identified. Blue marks on the reverse of the wooden sticks are thought to be makers' marks indicating the placement of the shells. This object was on display at the Science Museum, London, between 2010 and 2024 as part of the 'Who am I?' gallery; its exhibition history before 2010 is unknown.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Bibliography: Col. Sir Henry Lyons, F.R.S, 'The sailing charts of the Marshall Islanders: a paper read at the afternoon meeting of the Society, 14 May 1928' [and the Discussion that followed], Geographical Journal, 72/4 (Oct. 1928), 325–328. Robert Batchelor, 'Extrastate Development: Marshallese Stick Charts and the Politics of Infrastructure in the Nineteenth-Century Pacific', forthcoming (2025) chapter in De Gruyter's Yearbook on Environment, Technology and Development.</p>