a New Guinea fibre headdress

HIGHLANDS

Details

a New Guinea fibre headdress
Highlands
Composed of a cap of finely-woven dark fibre suspending many fringed tassels with unplaited looped ends, about seventy further longer tassels over the nape of the neck, some with twisted loop ends
approx 50cm. high

Literature

Biebuyck, D., and Van den Abbeele, N., The Power of Headdresses, Brussels, 1984, p. 220, Pl.176

Lot Essay

Holdsworh (D., The Highlands: Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby, 1974, illustrates a chief from the Kema, Lai Valley, southern Highlands, wearing a similar cap. Biebuyck also records a photograph of an Asmat man of Atj village, Betsy River, in a similar headdress with cuscus pelt addition (p.220).

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