Warrior Charm Item Number: 3084/1 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Description
Body adornment (karawut) woven of bark and fibre. The object is coloured with ochre, charcoal and lime, and takes a basic human shape with head at top, protruding nose running down the length of the face, large open eyes, and open mouth below nose. At bottom are two thin legs with dangling cowrie shells as feet. The chest is thickly padded. Lines of cowrie shells are sewn onto the torso and upper legs, and boar tusks, two per side, are attached along the midpoint edges. At back, a short loop of fibre is attached at mid-upper shoulder.
History Of Use
Charm traditionally worn on chest, back, or grasped in teeth by men entering into battle.
Item History
- Made in East Sepik, Papua New Guinea during 1900
- Owned by Rudi Kovanic before October 31, 2014
- Received from Rudi Kovanic (Donor) on October 31, 2014
What
- Name
- Warrior Charm
- Identification Number
- 3084/1
- Type of Item
- charm
- Material
- hibiscus bark, sennit fibre, boar tusk, cowrie shell, ochre pigment, charcoal pigment and lime pigment
- Overall
- height 45.0 cm, width 22.5 cm, depth 10.2 cm
Who
- Culture
- Abelam
- Previous Owner
- Rudi Kovanic
- Received from
- Rudi Kovanic (Donor)
Where
- Holding Institution
- MOA: University of British Columbia
- Made in
- East Sepik, Papua New Guinea
When
- Creation Date
- during 1900
- Ownership Date
- before October 31, 2014
- Acquisition Date
- on October 31, 2014
Other
- Condition
- fair
- Accession Number
- 3084/0001