Two "korwar" stick amulets ·  Indonesia - West New Guinea - Cenderawasih-Bay (Geelvink Bay) · ID: 3047807

Description

wood, fabric, turquoise trade beads,
“Korwar” amulets represent ancestral spirits. They were dedicated by the magic priests, i. e. furnished with secret powers and were used for the most diverse purposes.

For example they were supposed to bring luck in trading or during the search for food; they should prevent ships from running aground, bring favourable winds for sailing, or stop rains. They were tethered to objects in order to prevent theft, attached to fishing nets, or carried on the back by young men in order to attract girls, etc.

By using certain types of wood and attaching beads, their spiritual powers were supposed to be further enhanced.

The “korwar” were sacrificed with a mass of chewed areca nuts, betel leaves and lime, which was also applied to the forehead and arms of the man wearing the amulet.

Comparing literature

Corbay, Raymond, Korwar, Northwest New Guinea ritual art according to missionary sources, Leiden 2019, p. 249