wood, feathers, rattan, plant fibre cord, blackish mass, anthropomorphic head on stylized body (legs recognizable in back view), plume of twenty-six trimmed frigate bird feathers, old collection number "84", slightly dam., mass and paint chipped off in parts, crack and small traces of insect caused damage on the backside, metal base;
worn on the back of the neck this powerful war charms were believed to render the wearer invulnerable to enemies. They were secured by a necklace of cordage tied so tightly that the head faced upward and the feathers projected horizontally. Used throughout the archipelago, they appear to have been produced only by certain groups, such as the Matankol people of northern Manus Island, and traded to neighbouring peoples. Warfare on the islands ceased in the early 1900s, but contemporary Admiralty Islanders continue to wear the ornaments as dance regalia.
H: 46 cm, H: 18,1 inch
Provenance:
Lance Entwistle, Paris, France
Edith Hafter, Solothurn, Switzerland
Lit.: Kaufmann, Christian & Christin Kocher Schmid et. al., Admirality islands, Zurich 2002, ill. 118 ff.
Continent: Oceania

See description