Replacement skull "kus"
Click here to view a larger version of the imageLot: 15
87th Tribal Art AuctionReplacement skull "kus"
Papua New Guinea, Asmat
Provenance | Size | Starting price / estimated price |
---|---|---|
H: 7.9 inch | This object is not available anymore. |
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.
Konrad, Gunter & Ursula, u.a., Asmat, Glashütten 1981, p. 104