Asmat Headhunter's Ritual Magic/Sacred Dagger....(circa 1880 - 1920s).

Description

No Pacific Islands headhunter collection is complete without one of these specimens!
This sort of thing is much, much, rarer that the Cassowary daggers.......This is a ceremonial dagger used by the Asmat during headhunting raids......Head hunts could not take place without the employment of one of these magic/sacred daggers.
These things were made out of a segment of a croc's jawbone (and they would've been huge monsters!)......also, has cassowary feathers, job's tears seeds and beautiful fiber netting.....and a single intact tooth!
These ritual objects were so revered by the Asmat that whenever they had ended up fractured, after the raids (like this example), they would get repaired/stabilized immediately with the aid of rattan binding.  This specimen's bindings are an added bonus (there are not too many specimens extant with original repair work) - it signifies the object's high importance and indicates that it had been used for generations  - a very beloved heirloom.........Gorgeous dark yellow patina - owing to years and years of handling .
One can't help but wonder how many enemy heads had been taken via just this dreadful specimen -- surely, countless!
A beautiful, old & very powerful Asmat artifact !........circa late19th to early 20th cent (1880 - 1920s)
*Note - the last photo is of a page in the book
"Melanesia - Art and Encounter"
-  depicting an identical object from the British Museum's collection.
Measurements: About 25 inches in length....3 inches wide
***metal stand is NOT included.
*****STUDY PHOTOS FOR BEST DESCRIPTION.........DO YOUR RESEARCH.......KNOW WHAT YOU ARE BUYING .......ALL SALES ARE FINAL............ABSOLUTELY NO REFUNDS!!!!!.......feel free to ask questions (if need be).
Best,
Rez