A fine Admiralty Islands wood and feather war charm

细节

A fine Admiralty Islands wood and feather war charm
The finely carved wooden head with pierced ears, on flared neck bound with long fringe of cut feathers
50cm. high

来源

Augustin Krmer, Linden Museum Stuttgart, no.84074

拍品专文

In the Admiralty Islands war charms were worn at the back attached to a cord strung about the neck. Phillipe Bourgoin (Charms of the Admiralty Islands, in The World of Tribal Arts, Autumn/Winter 1998, p.91) gives a full discussion of the use of such charms and gives an English translation of the relevant chapter of Dr Hans Nevermann's Admiralitts-Inseln, 1934. According to Bourgoin such charms endowed the wearer with strength and courage during conflicts. The object was often a symbolic likeness of the first warrior killed or severely wounded by its owner.