ASMAT ANCESTOR DECORATED HUMAN SKULL DAVID HOWARD TRIBAL ART ASMAT ANCESTOR DECORATED HUMAN SKULL

It was not until Catholic missionaries established an out post in 1953 that significant interaction with the Asmat people began. Catholic missionaries, many with degrees in anthropology, were partially successful in persuading some of the Asmat to stop cannibalism and headhunting, while encouraging the continuation of other important cultural cycles and festivals such as shield and bisj ceremonies, which were incorporated
into an adapted Catholic liturgy.

Asmat was the launching point for an arduous joint French-Dutch expedition from the south to north coast of New Guinea in 1958 and 1959, which was documented by the team and resulted in a book and documentary film, The Sky Above, The Mud Below, which
won an Academy Award in 1962.

In November 1961, the 23-year-old Michael Rockefeller, son of the then-Governor of New York Nelson Rockefeller and member of one of the wealthiest families in the United States, disappeared in Asmat when his boat overturned while on an art collecting expedition. His disappearance, followed by an intensive and ultimately unsuccessful search by the Dutch authorities, was the source of much speculation as to Mr. Rockefeller's fate. Recently, author Carl Hoffman in his book "Savage Harvest," presented evidence that Rockefeller was killed and eaten by people from Otsjanep village. David Howard's photography and tribal art were featured on the cover of Smithsonian Magazine when Hoffman's book, concerning Rockefeller, was reviewed in March 2014.

In 1962, the Indonesian government took over administration of western New Guinea. After a short period under the new Indonesian administration from 1964 to 1968 in which Asmat cultural ceremonies were officially discouraged, local Bishop Alphonse August Sowada was instrumental in facilitating the revitalization of woodcarving and other festivals, which remain strong today. The church, along with Tobias Schneebaum and Ursula Konrad, established the Asmat Museum of Culture and Progress (AMCP) in the local town of Agats in 1973, to maintain local pride in Asmat cultural traditions. Each year in early October, the church sponsors a woodcarving competition and auction to recognize outstanding carvers.

Headhunting raids were an important element of Asmat culture until missionaries suppressed the practice. The death of an adult, even by disease, was believed to be caused by an enemy, and relatives sought to take a head in an endless cycle of revenge and propitiation of ancestors. Heads were thought necessary for the rituals in which boys were initiated into manhood. Cannibalism was a subsidiary feature of the rituals that followed the taking of heads.

ASMAT TRIBESMAN FEATHERED HEADDRESS DAVID HOWARD TRIBAL ART

ASMAT TRIBESMAN FEATHERED HEADDRESS DAVID HOWARD TRIBAL ART

The first apparent sighting of the Asmat people by explorers was from
the deck of a ship led by a Dutch trader, Jan Carstensz in the year 1623.
Captain James Cook and his crew were the first to actually land in Asmat
on September 3, 1770 (near what is now the village of Pirimapun).
According to the journals of Captain Cook, a small party from the
HM Bark Endeavor encountered a group of Asmat warriors;
sensing a threat, the explorers quickly retreated.

Asmat Skull Pillow David Howard Tribal Art

Asmat Skull Pillow David Howard Tribal Art

The Asmat are an Indonesian cannibalistic tribe on the island;
Papua. Known to use human skulls under their heads for pillows,
they also have been reported to eat human brains mixed with sago
worms straight from halved human skulls. The Asmat live in
mangrove vegetation near the sea and rivers, on the south side
of the western part of New Guinea. The Asmat, in addition to hunting
for skulls, also worshipped them. Ancestor skulls are stripped of
brains and eyes! Nasal passages are closed to prevent evil spirits
from entering or exit the body. Asmat decorated skulls
are displayed in sacred places inside Asmat domiciles.

Asmat art, most noticeably elaborate, stylized wood carving,
is designed to honor ancestors. Many Asmat artifacts have been
collected by the world's museums, among the most notable of which
are those found in the Michael C. Rockefeller Collection at the
Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and the Tropen Museum
in Amsterdam. One of the most comprehensive collections of Asmat Art
can be found in the American Museum of Asmat Art at the
University of Saint Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Until the 1950s, their remote and harsh location isolated the Asmat
from other peoples. It was not until the mid-20th century that they
came into regular contact with outsiders. The Asmat were documented
headhunters and cannibals, and as a consequence were left
largely undisturbed until the mid-20th century.

Traditionally, many Asmat men practiced polygamy by marrying
more than one woman. In many cases, men were expected to marry
a male relative's wife when that relative dies (otherwise the woman and her
children would be left without a source of protection or economic support).
Many Asmat men had long-term ritual sexual/friendship relationships with
other men, although the prevalence of this practice has been disputed by
others. In the mbai system, male partners were also known to share
their wives in a practice called papitsj.

The natural environment has been a major factor affecting the Asmat,
as their culture and way of life are heavily dependent on the rich natural resources found in their
forests, rivers, and seas. The Asmat mainly subsist on starch from the sago palm
(Metroxylon sagu), fish, forest game, and other items gathered from their forests and waters.
Materials for canoes, dwellings, and woodcarvings are also all gathered locally,
and thus their culture and biodiversity are intertwined. Due to the daily flooding which occurs
in many parts of their land, Asmat dwellings have typically been built two or more meters
above the ground, raised on wooden posts. In some inland regions, the Asmat have lived in
tree houses, sometimes as high as 25 meters from the ground. The Asmat have traditionally placed
great emphasis on the veneration of ancestors, particularly those who were accomplished warriors.
Asmat art, most noticeably elaborate, stylized wood carving, is designed to honour ancestors.
Many Asmat artifacts have been collected by the world's museums, among the most notable of
which are those found in the Michael C. Rockefeller Collection at the Metropolitan Museum
of Art in New York City and the Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam.

ANCESTOR SKULLS ARE COLLECTED AND VENERATED TO REMEMBER
DECEASED FAMILY MEMBERS. THE IFUGAO COLLECT BONES OF DEAD
RELATIVES; WRAP THEM IN TRIBAL TEXTILES, AND STORE THEM IN THE
RAFTERS UNDER THEIR HUTS. HUMAN SKULLS AND SKULL CAPS FROM
NEPAL ARE RITUAL OFFERTORY VESSELS THAT ARE USED AS
DRINKING CUPS IN TIBETAN BUDDHIST CEREMONIES.

THE ASMAT TRIBE ATTACH
FEATHERS, SEEDS, AND CARVED SEA SHELL NOSE RINGS
TO THEIR DECEASED ANCESTOR'S SKULLS.