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This information was automatically generated from data provided by MOA: University of British Columbia. It has been standardized to aid in finding and grouping information within the RRN. Accuracy and meaning should be verified from the Data Source tab.

Description

Decorated skull covered in clay with tight curls of human hair. A red clay face, formed onto a toothless human skull and decorated with brown, beige, and reddish orange facial tattoo, has Cowrie shell eyes, three rows of brown seeds implanted at the hairline of long twisted black hair locks, and circular bone earrings tied into a hole in each ear.

History Of Use

According to one 19th century collector, Frank Burnett: "[Solomon Islanders] believing that the 'Mana' of the dead was centred in the head, carefully preserved the skulls of their dead heroes, and moulded upon them a paste formed of lime and candlenuts, or else plastic clay which they skilfully modelled into a facsimile of the features of the deceased. When this had nearly set it was stained with a black viscuous gum applied hot into which were inlaid pieces of pearl shell forming artistic patterns ... [t]he eyes were formed of perculums. The heads so prepared were placed inside a shrine with carved posts and surrounded by a fence, and termed a 'Vunaha'."

Item History

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