Replacement skull "kus" · Westneuguinea / Westpapua (Irian Jaya), Asmat · ID: 3043046
Description
wood, matt patina, dominated by a big mouth with blackened teeth, min. dam., cracks, slight traces of abrasion, base.
When a trophy skull was lost or destroyed, a wooden head called “kus” was carved to replace it. In later years after head-hunting was banned by the authorities, wooden heads were used at initiation ceremonies in place of real and “freshly hunted” ones.
The object Replacement skull “kus” with the object ID 3043046 was last part of the auction 87th Tribal Art Auction at November 11, 2017 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 15.
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Comparing literature
Konrad, Gunter & Ursula, u.a., Asmat, Glashütten 1981, p. 104