Perfect Match of an Authentic Human Shrunken Head / Tsantsa. Javaro. Ecuador
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I am not going to get into the process of shrinking a human head but it is worthy to note that preparing shrunken heads has religious significance. For the Jivaroan People (and others), this act was meant to control the avenging spirit of the victim and compel him to serve the shrinker. When the head was severed and shrunk, the avenging would stop.
This shrunken head was hand made by an indigenous artist from the Manabi Province of Ecuador.
He has been making these replicas for my agent since the 1990s. The heads are made from shaved and modeled goat skin and prepared in much the same way as the authentic heads. The wood, the jute, the feathers, the hair are all products acquired from local sources.
An important point here is that original tsantsas are extremely rare because of the aging and – of course – mass deterioration. The artisan and my agent provide replicas to museums and motion picture companies because these pieces of art provide the best representation of the original heads.
This specific head is a replica of an authentic shrunken head. . . down to the beads and feathers.
For the Serious Collector. Stands not included. See other shrunken heads on the site.
This item is no longer available.