Asmat Dagger (Ndam Pisuwe) – Cassowary Bone – Indonesia, Papua New Guinea

Cassowary bone, seeds, vegetal fiber. Cm. 33,5 high (13.19″); grams 208,4 (7.35 oz).

The Asmat are an ethnic group of New Guinea. The Asmat’s first encounter with European people was with the Dutch, in 1623. However, until the 1950s, their remote and harsh location almost entirely isolated the Asmat from other ethnic groups. It was not until the mid-20th century that they came into regular contact with outsiders. The Asmat were documented headhunters and cannibals, and as a consequence were left largely undisturbed until the mid-20th century.

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