bone daggers and a couple questions
 

I've had these for a couple years and I thought I'd put them up and see what you guys thought. These are from a collection that was put together in the forties and fifties. They are both look like they are stone worked to me. Are they Sepik? Are they Upper Sepik? Are they Cassowary tibiotarsus or made from Human femurs? Are these "husband killing" daggers? Thanks in advance for your expertise.

Hi Matt
probably Cassowary. Most definitely not human femur, quickest reason (there are many) is human femur has a ball at one end and a bicondylar (two knuckles) appearance at the other end. They dont look like any other human bone I can think of either
cheers
drd

Thanks Doc!!!! Thats a relief!!!!
and Matt, whats this about 'husband killing daggers'. Thats really creepin me out. Where were these used? (pulleeze dont let exwives be reading this!)

I agree with Dr David. Cassowary. Not Human. See carved cassowary shaman dagger in the first picture (Ex Erik Farrow)

Compare with the Kangling/Kung ling Tibetan "spirit trumpet" made from a human femur. Used in the Chod ritual 'Cutting off of Ego', and various dubthab rites.

http://www.art-pacific.com/artifacts...s/bneknife.htm

I'm going to do more work to ID the source of the bone, the more I look at them the less I think they are Cassowary. The bone is too thick and dense. Anyway I have a veterinarian friend who said she'll look at it and let me know what she thinks.
Don't worry Jim, ex-wives aren't allowed to use them!! In some Sepik communities if a married man broke taboo (primarily cheating on his wife) his wife could stab him in the heart while he slept. Divorce Court... Sepik style. The daggers used to do this were usually made from the femur of a deceased male relative. I wish I could cite this better but I'm in the middle of a move and all my books are boxed up. I found some ancient notes I made on a great article in the Metropolitan Museum Journal #24, pages 305-325, Mother Cassowary's Bones: Daggers of East Sepik Provence, Papua New Guinea. It has been five or six years since I've read the article but according to my cryptic and illegible notes it discusses, daggers, made of both cassowary and human bone, Sepik creation myth and the practice of Husband Killing. The journal is now licensed to JSTOR so I can't access it but maybe someone out there can help us out.

Hi Matt,
Thank you so much for the response and the incredibly interesting detail on this 'way' esoteric topic! I really appreciate your including the source material also. I can completely relate to your books being boxed up, as I am away from mine presently as well, and find myself desperately trying to recall certain entries, passages and files....and the old memory aint gettin' any better! :)
You're right, maybe somebody out there has access to the article or can add some detail.......help! :)

Again, extremely interesting and thank you,
All best regards,
Jim