These two smoothed slate stones are value stones of the Dani, a people living in the highlands of West New Guinea. The green stones are used still today in exchange rites such as initiations, weddings or funerals. Je stones are the possession of men exclusively and are stored in the men's houses. Their value depends on their size, color and form.
For paying the bride price, the stones are decorated with fur tufts, braided strands of bark fiber, orchid fiber, feathers or cloth. For the Dani, textiles are assigned to women. Hence the decorated stones symbolize the unification of male and female.