Ancestor skull "ndambirkus" · Westneuguinea / Westpapua (Irian Jaya), Asmat · ID: 3042078
sold
EUR 3,000
Provenance
collected in situ, Asmat village Ocenep (1976)Size
L: 21 cm
L: 8.3 inch
Description
human skull, the lower jawbone tightly attached to the skull by grass fibre, the eye-sockets filled with beeswax, inserted with the grey seeds of Job’s-tear grass (“Coix lachryma-jobi”) and the red seeds of the crab’s eye vine (“Abrus precatorius”), slightly dam. (breakages at the cheekbones), additional: ornamental attachment from plant fibre cord and seed capsules (loose).
Just like normal household articles in Asmat culture human skulls were part of everyday life. Sometimes they were attached to cord and worn around the neck. Men carried the skulls with them in order to keep in contact with the ancestors. When sleeping they used the ancestor skulls as head rest.