This piece is available framed ($Neg)

31 DN171
Dennis Nona Byerb Ibaik 2009
White brass, black and white pearl shell, giddi-giddi seeds and fibre 16 x 15 x 24cm $11750

In bygone days, Badu people occasionally traded kuik (human skulls) with their New Guinean neighbours. These 'bartering' skulls were usually the spoils of local skirmishes or the plunder from successful forays to other Torres Strait Islands or the Australian mainland. To prepare a skull for trading, its nose cavity and eye sockets were filled with beeswax. Diamond-shaped pieces of pearl-shell were then inserted into the wax-filled eye sockets. Finally, fibre and other adornments were attached to the skull to enhance its appearance and desirability. The skulls of family members, important community leaders and revered warriors were never traded. Rather, they were treasured and used in a variety of sacred rituals. Byerb Ibaik was one such ritual, during which bone fragments were scraped from above the eye sockets of a legendary warrior's skull, mixed into a paste and then fed to a baby boy. This rite imbued the boy with the skill, courage and other attributes required for him to become a famous warrior.