🌴💀Solomon Islands Kosa skull hut 💀🌴
In the Solomon Islands, when an important ancestor or person in the village community (high priest, chief, head of a bloodline) died, their skull was retained and venerated. The Solomon Islanders were known for their wrapped chief skulls covered in shell currency, and their skull houses. There are three types of huts, simple wood A framed huts, wood framed huts covered in black paranarium nut paste, and then the Kosa basket. They were stored in stone grottos, tucked away in sacred places partially sheltered from the environment. The Kosa was regarded as the most important, of the huts, and was stored and kept away safe, typically in an indoor sheltered dwelling. The Kosa basket, holds the skull of the head of a bloodline, in some cases 5-6 generations back. It holds objects of wealth that belonged to him in life such as Barava, poata shell ring currency, and tridacna shells.
This intricately woven Kosa hut comes from Marovo lagoon. A very raw and early example, around the turn of the 19th century. It is woven using lawyer cane, and lashed together with rattan. Inside, are the personal shell ring currencies, Barava, tridacna shells and a large whale tooth pendant.
This important skull house, is one of three that were published and debuted in the 2008 release of Kevin Conru and Deborah Waites “Solomon Island Art: The Conru Collection.”.
Provenance: Ex Kevin Conru collection #CS47
19th-early 20th ca.
