Attribution Incomplete Notice
Collections and items in our institution have incomplete, inaccurate, and/or missing attribution. We are using this notice to clearly identify this material so that it can be updated, or corrected by communities of origin. Our institution is committed to collaboration and partnerships to address this problem of incorrect or missing attribution.
Open to Collaborate Notice
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Artwork Details
9-1/2 x 53-1/4 x 36 in.
Accession NumberGift of Mr. and Mrs. Harrison Eiteljorg
CopyrightProvenance
Provenance
(Robert Jones, Indianapolis, Indiana);{1} sold on 12 May 1977 to Harrison Eiteljorg [1903-1997] of Indianapolis, Indiana; given to the Indianapolis Museum of Art in 1989. {1} Robert Jones also sold by the name of Robert Fitzgerald
Gallery Labels
Gallery Labels
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.
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Artworks that appear in the image file(s) above may be in copyright or have other legal and/or cultural restrictions to their use. For clarity, Newfields does not claim copyright to the image files created by Newfields of artworks in the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection. Newfields makes every effort to ascertain the copyright status of artworks in the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection. Please refer to the RightsStatements.org statement above for information about the current copyright status of the artwork. Additionally, some artworks may include Local Context’s Notices or Labels that attribute cultural authority of the artwork’s heritage and data.
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