Rare female Epaku headdress, monoxyle in wood with brown pat - Lot 159

Lot 159
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Estimation :
12000 - 15000 EUR
Rare female Epaku headdress, monoxyle in wood with brown pat - Lot 159
Rare female Epaku headdress, monoxyle in wood with brown patina and pewter application. The lower part consists of a cylinder hollowed out to hold the bun. Lateral holes allow it to be secured with wooden pegs. It is topped by a small sculpture of a crouching, grimacing man. One hypothesis is that this representation is that of a defeated enemy... Holes on either side of the figure were designed to hold plant stems to which feathers were attached. These headdresses were worn by young girls during a dance called "kalea", which began with the sound of a conch shell and was accompanied by dancers singing traditional songs. The purpose of this dance was to celebrate important events such as harvests, funerals, war and many other ceremonies. Enggano Island (also known as "Women's Island"), Indonesia. Late 19th-early 20th century. Height: 19.5cm. Several models, collected (1886 - 1894) by the explorer Elio Modigliani, can be seen at the Natural Science Museum in Florence (Italy). These headdresses can also be seen at the National Museum of Indonesia in Jakarta. References: See two comprehensive articles in the magazines "Tribal Arts, Le Monde de l'Art Tribal", Winter 2001/Spring 2002 - no. 27 and Summer. Autumn 2002 - no. 28. (Small accidents and missing pewter). Expert: Jean Claude Herrera Gutierrez.
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