Money Pot with Inlay - Micronesia(Donation from the Millers)Set outside the home of loose women, it was used by the male visitor to contribute to payment of services.

Woven Fiber Fans (3)Woven Fiber Fan with tortoise shell center (1) Micronesia(Donation from the Millers)

Spirits and Headhunters

Bowers Docent Guild

Love Sticks Micronesia(Donation the Millers)

The Chuukese (formerly Trukeselove stick is part of the legendarypractice unique to this group of islands. Traditionally young menown personalized love-sticks on which they carve two of the same design. A short one would be carved to be utilized for his hair.

The long one would be for the woman. When a man likes a woman, he pokes the stick into the hut, into the hair of the sleeping woman to wake her. As she feels the stick, she decides if this is the man she loves. She pulls the loves stick as a signal for the man to enter. If the stick is pushed back, she is not interested in the man.

Woven Betel Nut Bag Micronesia(Donation the Millers)Leaves and lime from yap

Bowers Docent Guild

Spirits and Headhunters

Cassowary Foot and Claw NecklacePapua New GuineaDonation – Mike Nobbs

Cassowary HeadPapua New GuineaDonation-Mike Nobbs

The cassowary bird plays an important role in Asmat culture initiation rights. This flightless bird symbolizes both male and female attributes and is viewed as a complete being able to reproduce autonomously. During a mans final initiation period, he will receive a bundle of Cassowary feathers that are worn around the neck like a short cape

Bowers Docent Guild

Spirits and Headhunters

Cassowary FeathersDonation Mike Nobbs

Club – FijiClub heads were normally decorated with human teeth.

Bowers Docent Guild

Bilum BagPapua New GuineaMade by a local woman in New Guinea. Shows how traditions continue today.

Tapa Cloth – Papua New Guinea

Spirits and Headhunters

Tapa Bark ClothDonation S. Fox12.5” x14.4” with Turtle Motif, FabricSamoa

Bone Fish Hook – (Maui/New Zealand PolynesiaDonation, S. Fox

Nut Doll- MicronesiaDonation, The Millers

Bowers Docent Guild

Tiki Figures- Hawaii (3.5”wood)Donation S. Fox”The Aumakua” for protection, comfort“The God of Money” – good fortune“Ku” prosperity

Tiki Figures

Papua New Guinea

Spirits and Headhunters

Bowers Docent Guild

ShieldDonation – J. StedmanThis narrow shield is unsourced . May have come from New Zealand.Stored in the Docent library. May be used to demonstrate the use of shields in initiation rites

Throughout Melanesia symbolic masks continue today to be at the center of tribal culture &spiritual belief systems. Life for the isolated villages and tribal communities was a constant balance between the physical world of the day to day - and the unseen and mostly symbolic relationship to the spirit world. For the shamans and spiritual leaders of the community the way to connect and begin to control the world around themthrough the masks and the gods, thereby increasing his chances of survival… the dances that transpired. These mask dances were the of the unseen - and the unknown world beyond their daily struggles. By dancing into being the spirit, mortal man had a chance to control his destiny and talk to the spirits.

Yam Mask

MaskSpirits and Headhunters

Bowers Docent Guild

Shell NecklaceDonation-C.Hallenbeck

Modern NecklaceDonation-C. HallenbeckNecklaces show how tradition continues today

Necklaces Assorted Shell

Assorted Shell Necklaces

Spirits and Headhunters

Giant Green Sea Snail(Marmoratus Turbinidae) 225 mm or moreInterior mother of pearls whorls from the green sea snails were used in necklaces and ornaments for brides and others

Assorted cowries and cones Cowries were used in necklaces and ornaments

Bull Mouth or Red Helmet Cypraecassis RufaSouth East Africa to East Polynesia100 to 195 mmUsed for cameos.Fimbrate HelmetCassis FimbriataWest Australia 60 to 113 mm

Gold lipped OysterHumpbacked CowriePacific Lettered Cowrie-

Bowers Docent Guild

Spirits and Headhunters

Money Cowries

Baler Volute,Ovula, Giant Baler ShellMelo Amphora, Volute SpeciesIndian Ocean West Australia Queensland New Guinea125 to 483 mmSections of these shells were used to make the pectoral ornament and the pubic guard. In the Bride Photograph, the bride is wearing a large portion of a baler shell.Spiney Oyster ( Spondylus Oyster)

Tiger CowrieCypraea TigrisS.E. Africa Hawaii 42 153mm

Bowers Docent Guild

Kava and other ShellsDonated by S. Fox

Spirits and Headhunters

Spirits and HeadhuntersTouring Aids

Bowers Docent Guild

World Globes (2)

11 x 17 Laminated Photos

New Guinea Tiki Amulet

New Guinea Nose Plug – - used for

Ornamentation

Devil Masks Micronesia(Donation the Millers)The story of the Devil Maskoriginates from a long time ago. On the island of Toi in the Truk lagoon lived a legendary ghost that kept stealing food from the starving people. As a result, the people decided to carve a devil mask to scare the ghost away.

Later on, it happened in such a way that all the people came together wearing the mask. When the ghost same by to steal the food, it saw devils surrounding the area. The ghost got scared, ran away, and never came backBowers Docent Guild

Several theories exist as to the significance of this amulet including its function to increase fertility, and the possibility it represents a human infant being birthed. They were worn around the neck by both men and women and it was believed, as is the case with all Māori art, that the spiritual value of the amulet increased with successive ownerships. The eyes of hei tiki were typically inlaid with shell;