The Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford
War trophies. Heads of defeated enemies, shrunk by removing the skull and treating with hot stones and sand, 19th century. (Left: 1932.32.92; right: 1911.77.11)
Ecuador, South America. Jivaro (Shuar) peoples.
Selection of early handwritten museum labels
James Clifford noticed about the poem of James Fenton, "The Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford," that "for this visitor even the museum's descriptive labels seem to increase the wonder ("…attract small game / on dark nights") and the fear."
My favorite label, for its simplicity and absolute precision, is: "Charm used to cause death of enemy."
Others include:
"Protecting-cap for a sore toe"
"Worn by traders in salt from T. to G. to avert sickness on the journey."
"'Night-horse'. By mounting this a member of the Mba tsav secret society gains invisibility and can travel far at night, kill an enemy, & return."
"Cup of rhinoceros horn supposed to have magic properties…."
"Silvered & stoppered bottle, said to contain a witch. Obtained about 1915 from an old lady living in a village near Hove, Sussex. She remarked 'and they do say there be a witch in it, and if you let un out there'll be a peck o' trouble'."
"Iron 'razor' used by sailors for the ceremony of 'crossing the line'."
"Chinese hypodermic syringe home-made from thimbles etc."