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Dagger, early to mid 20th Century
Asmat culture; Papua Province (Irian Jaya), Indonesia
Bone,…
Dagger (Ndam Pisuwe)
Dagger, early to mid 20th Century
Asmat culture; Papua Province (Irian Jaya), Indonesia
Bone,…
Dagger, early to mid 20th Century Asmat culture; Papua Province (Irian Jaya), Indonesia Bone, claw, fiber, feather and bead; 15 1/8 × 5 × 2 in. 2018.13.45 Gift of Anne and Long Shung Shih

Dagger (Ndam Pisuwe)

ClassificationsArms and Armor-daggers
Culture Asmat
Dateearly to mid 20th Century
Made AtPapua (Irian Jaya) Province, Indonesia
MediumBone, claw, fiber, feathers and beads
Dimensions15 1/8 × 5 × 2 in. (38.4 × 12.7 × 5.1 cm)
Credit LineGift of Anne and Long Shung Shih
Object number2018.13.45
DescriptionThis dagger, also colloquially known as Ndam Pisuwe, was collected from the Asmat people in the Papua Province of Indonesia. A Ndam Pisuwe is commonly made from the long bone of a cassowary and in some cases a human bone of a slain enemy. The dagger featured here is made from a dark brown cassowary bone sharped to a point. At the top of the dagger a light tan woven fiber is braided into tassels with bunches of cassowary feathers attached. This particular example also has a cassowary claw attached at the point.

The use of cassowary and human bone daggers is far more nuanced than the implements of cannibalism and male-exacted carnage first presented by early European anthropologists. Some daggers were used as hunting tools and for carving game. As tools of warfare, they were used in close-range combat to finish off wounded foes or to stealthily end otherwise engaged combatants with a well-placed downward thrust. Due to the prestige and status associated with both cassowary and human bone, the daggers were commonly used for ritual purposes and displayed at initiations and other secret ceremonies.
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Dagger (Ndam Pisuwe), mid 20th Century
Asmat culture; Papua (Irian Jaya) Province, Indonesia, …
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