Ancestor skull "ndambirkus" ·  Westneuguinea / Westpapua (Irian Jaya), Asmat · ID: 3032377

Description

human skull, shiny spotty patina, the lower jaw fixed with rattan, eye-sockets and nose spread with beeswax, red seeds of the crab’s eye vine inserted, earrings with feather tassels, slight traces of abrasion, good condition, on metal base;
just like normal household articles in Asmat culture human skulls were part of everyday life. The skull of a treasured ancestor was treated with outmost respect, it was dressed in a ceremonial manner and kept in a secure place. Sometimes it was attached to cord and worn around the neck. The men used to carry the skulls around with them in order to keep in contact with the ancestors. When sleeping they used the ancestor skulls as head rest.

L’objet Ancestor skull “ndambirkus” avec l’ID d’objet 3032377 a fait partie de la dernière vente aux enchères 68th tribal art auction dans 3 mars 2012 le Zemanek-Münster Hôtel des ventes. L’objet portant le numéro de lot 22 a atteint un prix de vente de 4 500 €.

Vous trouverez ici d’autres objets et des informations utiles sur le thème Art océanien.

Littérature comparée

Konrad, Gunter und Ursula, u.a., Asmat, Glashütten 1981, p. 105 f.