Subject: kerei shaman
Culture: Mentawai
Setting: tribal warfare, Mentawai Islands 19-20thc
Object: palitai knife
Dallas Museum of Art *
"Dagger
Indonesia: West Sumatra, Mentawai Islands, Siberut Island, Berisigep village
19th century Wood, metal feathers, and rattan ...
Daggers -- like shields, bows and poisoned arrows, and spears -- were weapons for the Mentawaian men who set out on headhunting raids. The elegant spiral on the handle of the Museum's dagger is a sculptural version of the fiddlehead (coiled fern) motif; it suggests fertility and abundance. The metal blade is a trade item from Sumatra, for the people of Siberut do not work metal. Early in the 20th century, a pair of daggers of this kind were an essential part of the bride price."
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