Shrunken Head

ClassificationsOrganic Materials-human remains

Culture Shuar

Dateearly 20th Century

Made AtEcuador, South America

MediumHuman head, feather and fiber

Dimensions4 3/8 × 3 1/2 × 2 1/2 in. (11.1 × 8.9 × 6.4 cm)

Credit LineGift of Mrs. Barbara Lackey

Object number39963

DescriptionShrunken head from the Jivaro or Shuar Indian culture of Ecuador, South America. Collected in 1948 by the late father of Mrs. Lackey.
IMPORTANT NOTE: for qualifying the measurments below; skeletal material, such as the cranium, bones, etc., have been removed in the preparation process of the head: and all references below relating to physical measurements are purely relative to the area as description devices, not with reference to the actual bone. It is not known whether the head dimensions are completely accurate from the reduction process.
1) cranium case; depth from parietals to frontal region, (front to back) 7.5cm.
2) cranium case length from top of cranium to Mastoid Process 7.5cm.
3) Between parietals across front of head 6.5cm. Ears width across front of head 7.5cm.
4) top of head to end of mandible 9.5cm. Neck length .5 cm, neck width 5 cm.
5) nostrils 1.5 cm width, .5 cm depth, Glabella to nasion .75 cm, nasion to end (attached to face) 1.75cm.
Colors: Brown hair, straight, medium fine texture; bangs and short side-burns. Face is shades of brown and tan, eyes shut, yellow and orange feather cluster in each ear, mouth open with fibrous string inserted into upper lip area, knotted and inserted into lower lip, as to keep the head from speaking. String knotted 1.5 cm below mouth, string hangs 9 cm. down from knot, loose. Slight cracking of the neck area, into cheek area, both sides of face. Head obtained in warfare, boy age 15 years. Obtained by father of donor. Stuffed with newspaper; written in Spanish. See file for drawing
Note there are two heads with same number check file.

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