Kopar figures and topknots

I collected this is the highlands, a few kilometres out from Mt. Hagen going up into the mountains (very steep). We arrived in a small village and then walked. After two or three villages it became alot more remote and we could feel the reaction of people on the path, the few that we met, change from interest into shock the further we walked. In the second or third village, i forget now, we were cautious and stated our interests. After lots of confused handshaking and giggling girls we met the headmen. We were invited into their quite large hut (for maybe two families,) incredibly qmokey and in the centre under leaves and then hot rocks was some very well cooked pig meat, greasy. We ate and talked with someone who had gone to school in maount hagen as a go between. To shorten a long story. He told me that this topknot had in it two or three spear tips that had been collectedd from battles, those speartips that had pierced flesh since they had proved themselves to be powerful. They were wrapped up in this bundle which would be worn by a warrior on top of his head with feathers coming out the top to protect him from arrows.

Reference ; i have never been able to scan the thing so dont know if the story is true or not onlly reference i can find is from . 


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The Pacific Islands, Africa, and the Americas
 By Douglas Newton , page 18 in regard to a sepik figure Kopar, A conical topknot was formerly used as the support for a coronet of feathers.

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Statue, Kopar, Bas Sepik, Papouasie Nouvelle-Guinée
FIGURE, KOPAR, LOWER SEPIK RIVER, PAPUA NEW GUINEA


Estimation 

15,000 — 25,000


Lot. Vendu 49,500 EUR (Prix d’adjudication avec commission acheteur)

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New Guinea Headhunter

A New Guinea headhunter in a woven topknot wears a suspicious expression.
N° de la photo :
HU050836
Photographiée le :
1 mars 1924
« Model Release » :
non disponible
Décharge de propriété :
non disponible
Attribution :
© Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS
Type de licence :
Droits gérés (DG)
Catégorie :
Collection :
Taille maximum du fichier :
8  Mo - 3444px × 2644px • 27,94cm × 20,32cm @ 300 ppp

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