418

Two Shrunken Heads--Tsantsas On Display Stands

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:25.00 USD Estimated At:175.00 - 250.00 USD
Two Shrunken Heads--Tsantsas On Display Stands
Advertising, Firearms, Western, Antiques, Collectibles, Antique Furniture, Native American Artifacts, Native American Weapons, Navajo Jewelry, Silver, Gold, Montana History Artifacts, Navajo Indian Rugs, Navajo Indian Jewelry, Taxidermy Mounts, Civil War, Indian Wars, Early American, and More.
This lot provides you one opportunity to bid on a pair of Tsantsas, or shrunken heads. The gruesome practice of making tsantsas from severed enemies' heads was technique the Jivaro Indians of Northern Peru and Southern Equador developed. Most tsantsas are fakes, as both Peru and Equador enacted strict laws in the 1930's outlawing buying and selling tsantsas and in the 1940's, the United States banned their import. With high demand during this time and supply restricted by law, a forgery market developed using goat, sloth, or monkey skin made to look human. The origin and originality of these shrunken heads is unknown. Each shrunken head rests on a display stand, the taller of the two being 20" tall; the head is about 4.5" wide--nose to back of head. The taller of the two has red feathers hooked through both ears, while the other has blue and yellow feathers through each ear. The second on also decorative rope stitching the lips closed with the long strands extending down and resting at the base of the stand. In the middle of the ropes hanging from the lips is an arrangement blue and yellow feathers of Both heads are in good original condition.