Forensic Fashion
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>Costume Studies
>>1840 Kiribati warrior
>>>weapons
Subject: warrior
Culture: Kiribati Micronesian
Setting: tribal conflict, Gilbert and Ellice / Kingsmill Islands mid 19thc.
Object: weapons







* National Museum of Scotland > Royal Museum
"Sword  
Micronesia, probably Kiribati, 
Nineteenth century
Whalebone, the edges grooved and framed with shark's teeth secured by sinnet."



* Palace of Wax/Ripley's Believe It or Not!
"SHARK TOOTH WEAPON  
Lacking metal, the natives of the Gilbert and Ellice island [SIC] use whatever nature provides them to make unconventional, but lethal, weapons.  Believe It or Not!, this 'sword' is a piece of wood Stubbed [SIC] with shark's teeth is actually a deadly sword! [SIC]"



* American Museum of Natural History > Mead Hall of Pacific Peoples
"WEAPONS AND ARMOR used on the Gilbert Islands (Kiribati) were unusual and effective.  In this extremely warlike society, every man was a fighter.  Battles took place between islands and even between kinsmen on the same island.  Weapons included 20-foot-long thrusting spears, hardwood clubs for parrying spears and for striking, and daggers pointed with stingray spines.  Remarkable weapons were designed for cutting or gashing: knives, spears and trident like swords of wood with rows of shark's teeth fastened to them with coconut fiber cord. [...]"









* Museo de América > El Conocimiento de América
"Conjunto de armas de madera y dientes de tiburón sujetos con cuerdecitas.
Polinesia."











* Peabody Museum of Archeology and Ethnology > Pacific Islands Hall
"Shark-tooth weapon
coconut wood, shark tooth
Gilbert Islands" ...














* Peabody Museum of Archeology and Ethnology > Pacific Islands Hall
"Shark-toothed weapon
Gilbert Islands" ...

* Peabody Museum of Archeology and Ethnology > Pacific Islands Hall
"Spear head
Kiribati (Gilbert Islands),
Kingsmill Group" ...







* Peabody Museum of Archeology and Ethnology > Pacific Islands Hall
"Shark-toothed knife  wood, shark's teeth  
Gilbert Islands" ...






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