I have compiled a wealth of unique treasures, antiques and artworks from Asia with a fantastic and mysterious history from travels, China, Japan, Bali, Tibet, Burma/Myanmar, Cambodia, Taiwan, Philippines, Laos and Vietnam.

My fascination with Asia inspired me to move here from England and become an avid collector/buyer of Asian oriental antique statues, carvings, puppets, bronzes and unique objects, other items have been from years of collecting and accumulating from estates, private collections and auctions.

PHILIPPINES IFUGAO RESIN HUMAN TROPHY HEADHUNTERS SKULL

 PIG SKULL ON BOARD

Stunning Ifugao Hill tribe village headhunter/ancestors skull trophy with real wild boars skull and also comes with stand. this is as authentic as it get without it being a real human skull down to the soot from the village hut fires and dirt layered on the skull. this can be displayed flat on a surface or hung on a wall. One of many new headhunter skull pieces up for auction this week including Asmat and Dayak.

 SKULL IS NOT REAL AND MADE FROM A REAL SKULL RESIN CAST

As this skull is not real is does not come under ebays sale of human body parts rules and is 100% legal to sell.

One of the best RESIN copies I could find and very realistic. All the other pieces on the skull are authentic sourced from Borneo, Philippines and Indonesia. I have many other various skulls on ebay this week for sale and more to come.

There was little formality to the practice of head-taking. Most heads were cut off with a battle-ax before the wounded man was dead. Not infrequently, two or more men would have thrown their spears into the victim, who was already disabled. If one of the Bontoc warriors at the scene had never taken a head, he would generally be allowed to cut this one from the body, and thus be entitled to the head taker's distinct tattoo (chaklag). (Of course, the tattooing would not take place until the proper arrangements were made for his victory celebration and feast.) However, the head belonged to the man who threw the first disabling spear, and it found its resting place in his ató. If there was time, men of other ató cut off the victim's hands and feet to be displayed in their ató. Sometimes succeeding sections of the arms and legs were cut and taken away, so only the torso was left upon the ground!

But the successful headhunter did not always secure his trophy on the battlefield. On March 31, 1908, the respected and popular Ifugao chief Bahatan traveled to a neighboring village to conduct business connected with a new road then in progress. Having accomplished his errand before noon, he was resting under the house of the village chief when a man of a rival clan came up to him. He approached Bahatan with kind words, drawing his blanket closely around his body to conceal his bolo (beheading sword), and offered the chief a betel nut which he then intentionally dropped upon the ground. As Bahatan stopped to pick up the nut the man quickly threw off his blanket and with two well-directed blows of his bolo severed Bahatan's head from his body! The man did not stop to take the head and before anyone in the village realized what had just happened, he slipped away into the grass thickets surrounding the village.

Although it is said that no Bontoc man could marry without first taking a head (the man was constantly "teased" by the single women of the community until he had brought back a head for his "bride's prize"), the origins of Bontoc headhunting are recorded in legends: "The people of Bontoc, say their god and culture hero, Lumawig, taught them to go to war. When a very long time ago he lived in Bontoc, he asked them to go accompany him on a war expedition to Lagod, the north country. They said they did not wish to go, but finally yielded to his urgings and followed him. On the return trip the men missed one of their companions. Lumawig told them he had been killed by the people of the north. And thus their wars began to avenge his death."

PLEASE NOTE

Due to the size, shape and being slightly fragile, some pieces will have to be specially wrapped, boxed and insured for loss only which shows in the shipping cost, I do not intend to take any chances with these pieces, better safe than sorry, it would be heart breaking to think it arrived broken and deserves looking after.

There are a lot of retired American, English, Germans etc living here in Thailand enjoying their last days in hotter tropical climes. With being out and about every day looking for items to buy I meet many foreigners living in strange out of the way places, I also do a lot of advertising in local papers etc saying I will buy any collections, Antiques and so on, things are starting to pick up, I am getting a few Thai ladies calling saying their husbands have passed away and have items that they do not know what to do with,  there is some great stuff turning up.

SIZE

Width: 22 inches...56cm.

Depth: 10 inches...26cm.

Height: 8 inches...20cm.

Weight when packed: 2.5 kilo.

I LIST NEW ITEMS EVERY WEEK, CHECK OUT MY WEIRD AND WONDERFUL ITEMS UP FOR AUCTION.