Hatchet "ligua" or "liwa" · Philippines - Northern Luzon, Kalinga · ID: 3051670
sold
EUR 1,000
Provenance
American CollectionPatrick Mestdagh, Brussels, Belgium
Ulrich Kortmann, Dortmund, Germany
Zemanek-Münster, Würzburg, 10 March 2018, lot 6
Size
L: 61,5 cm
L: 24.2 inch
Description
iron, wood, brass sheet, base
The “ligua” was worn inserted into the waistcloth. The cutting edge was sized and shaped specifically to sever a head. The long spike at the back was used to pick up the severed head and puncture the cranium, thereby letting the blood drain out. However the hatchet also serves as a tool for cutting and other purposes. For example, the spike can be planted in the ground when climbing a hill (Moltzau-Anderson, 2010, p. 343).
Comparing literature
Moltzau-Anderson, Eric, In the shape of tradition, Leiden 2010, p. 346 ff.