Overmodeled ancestor skull
Iatmul, Papua-Neuguinea
human skull, overmodeled with sago-palm pith, which was even used to form brows, nose, mouth and ears, decorated with nassa snails and conus shell disc, strings of human hair attached in one row, the eyes inset with shell discs, the entire facial plane dyed with white pigment, finally painted with symmetrical arranged, curvilinear ornaments in red paint, slightly dam., cracks (sago-palm pith); overmodeled skulls play a fundamental role in preserving the memory of a clan's origins. The skulls of a clan's founding ancestors are often kept and displayed, as are those of family ancestors. The proof of a warrior's prowess lies in the number of overmodeled enemy skulls he owns.
L: 24 cm

Provenance:
Private Collection, Münster, Germany

Lit.: Meyer, Anthony J.P., Ozeanische Kunst, Vol. I, Köln 1995, p. 221