Stone of Status
Stone of Status
Smithsonian display: In 1904, a Villager named “You” (pronounced yo-u) from the Micronesian island of Yap quarried this stone valuable on the nearby island of Palau (also known as Belau). It was sent to Yap via the steamship Germania and placed in front of a community house. Eventually, this stone passed to Chief Gaag of Balabat village. It was sold with the permission of his community to the Smithsonian Institution in 1962.
Incredible Journey of the Yap Stones
For centuries stones of status were quarried from aragonite deposits on the souther end of the island about 402 km (250 mi) from Yap. To cross the ocean to Yap, they towed bamboo rafts that held the stones upright and half-submerged across land, rai were carried by bamboo poles.
This stone (or rai) is a symbol of status on the Micronesian island of Yap. The value of each stone is determined by its history, which includes when it arrived on Yap, who owned it, and how it was used. Exchanges of rai honor traditional ceremonies such as marriages, funerals, competitive dancing and festing, and construction of community buildings.
Different Cultures, Different Values
Objects of value from culture to culture. At the stones here, you can exchange round pieces of metal and printed paper called money for other objects. The large stone disks of Yap are often called “stone money” but in fact, they are not. Rather these objects of value are exchanged between communities and families. The export of rai is strictly controlled by the Yapese government.
