Kerewa; Agiba, human skull shrine; TC 354
Agiba, human skull shrine
Kerewa
19th century
Wood, pigment, lime
H. 80 cm
TC 354

Agiba are two-dimensional abstractions of the human figure, that represent important spirits associated with hunting and warfare. Agiba were owned by clans and kept on platforms in men's ceremonial houses. Agiba were often displayed in pairs and said to be made by senior initiated men who had successfully participated in a raid. In former times, before headhunting was suppressed by Christian missionaries and colonial governments, skulls of relatives and victims from headhunting raids were hung on or placed near the carvings.

Provenance:
Michael Hamson, Palos Verdes Estates, CA, 2006
George Craig, mid 1970s
Dick Randolph, 1961
Collected by Thomas Schultze-Westrum

Publishing History:
Michael Hamson. Aesthetics of Integrity. M. Hamson Oceanic Art, Palos Verde Estates, 2007: 50-51,