DU13 Rare Korwar 19th c. with Ancestor Skull Northwest New Guinea

Item #                 .DU13

Description      .Very Rare 19th c. Korwar probably from Geelvink Bay.  The Korwar were made by the peoples of North West New Guinea to offer supernatural protection during headhunting raids and was said to make a warrior invisible. When a person died their family would have a special carver/priest fashion a wooden figure to contain the descendants soul for when the family needed to consult the descendant about major decisions. The use of skulls incorporated into the sculpture was banned by the Dutch Government in the capital Biak at the start of the 1900’s. This piece was collected in the 1930’s complete with the Ancestor skull and is one of two acquired by a Government official in the area at that time.  Some damage due to age deterioration of the wood. These days there is not a single Korwar to be found in Papua New Guinea.

Size                       .38cm H * 17cm W (15″ H * 7″ W)

Price                    USD$4,500