Description: wood, colour pigments, base The designation "garra" refers to sacred items connected with the male cults. The Bahinemo keep their carvings hanging in men's cult houses, where the older pieces are believed to have magical powers to protect the villagers. Their powers can be obtained for hunting and fighting by means of certain rituals. The hooks are seen as stylized hornbill beaks which aside of their decorative effect have a symbolic meaning. Throughout South-East Asia, the Great Hornbill is related to the soul, the ancestor and the spirit world. Continent: Oceania
Dimensions: H: 87 cm, H: 34,3 inch
Condition Report: See description
Literature: Craig, Barry (ed.), Living spirits with fixed abodes, Honolulu 2010, p. 153
Provenance: Belgian Collection John Giltsoff, Girona, Spain