(back to top)

This headpiece consists of nine separately carved wooden elements fitted together. It was set into a cap and worn horizontally on top of the wearer’s head, who was concealed with cloth. Feathers or other elements were inserted into holes in the torso, rear limbs and in the spiral head projections derived from women’s hairstyles. The bird on the back may represent the “crocodile bird,” a plover, which feeds on the reptile’s insect parasites. The dish on the snout probably held ritual offerings.

This type of headpiece functioned within a men’s association, where predatory animals such as crocodiles, sharks and leopards are considered guardian spirits. The men wearing the headpiece may, on some occasions, move through a river or stream, with only his head and headpiece above water.