Asmat wooden spear

length: 7' 4"

Made of nibung palm wood by the Asmat of Irian Jaya, Indonesia. Large 14" serrated barbed tip, upper shaft carved with decorative open panel motif. Wrapped with inner tree bark fibers made into rope and decorated with coix seeds.

comments from a collector friend who specializes in Indonesian weaponry:
"A real beauty and hard to find (shall we say rare as hen's teeth?) example of a weapon from one of the few/last remaining stone-age cultures, but one that can be a little tricky, too, based on stupid attitudes. In my opinion, I think this is a chief's or ceremonial spear....the wide and open wood working/carving beneath the head would make it less solid in battle conditions, but I believe it's the equivelant if an ivory hilt in more modern cultures...pure status/rank. The weaving on the butt looks newer than the rest, and I believe would again be ceremonial/shamanistic. On the pure positive side...it's awesome!!!!"

Withdrawn