H18.217

Head rest, wood, carved. "Head rest; wood carved. Melanesia (value $35.00 - 1955) by Donald Marshall. Wakdi, North Coast of New Guinea." (warehouse card) "Such headrests were commonly found in men's ceremonial houses in Northern Irian Jaya. Headrests were also used in marriage exchange. These headrests were often decorated with stylized animals, ancestral figures (associated with protective powers) or geometric designs. This headrest is embellished with curvilinear forms. Such `S'-shaped curvilinear forms are typical design elements in the material culture of the North Coast of Irian Jaya and the Lake Sentani area. Nakde is probably Wakde Island. Late 1800s/early 1900s." (Kathleen Adams, 1/95) "Lower Sepik transitional area." (William Davenport, 2/95)

Used: men | Marriage exchange