A rare New Guinea man's feather head ornament

MENDI, HIGHLANDS

Details

A rare New Guinea man's feather head ornament
Mendi, Highlands
The quantity of long cassowary feathers bound with shorter white feathers in small bundles by red, black and white cloth and with twisted fibre to form a horizontal strip, with applied striped fur at the centre, attached reddened pair of small tusks, some small white feathers attached to the ends of the black feathers
approx. 64cm. wide and long

Lot Essay

Such ornaments are worn horizontally at the back of the head by married me of the Meranke tribe, Irian Jaya. Cf. Lewis, A.B., Field Museum of Natural History, Department of Anthropology, Guide part 5, Ethnology of Melanesia, Chicago, 1932, Pl XXVIII

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