Executioner's knife consisting of a section of bamboo with a woven vegetable fibre covering for the handle. Interior of handle is filled with wood and capped with resin. This resin cap bears recesses for seed bead decorations which have now been lost.
There are 3 labels with the object. A paper label tying this and nn2974 together reads "No. 9. London Missionary Society. The Orient in London. Country: New Guinea. Execution Knife. Lent by Dr. John Evan Spicer. Description: Executioners knife made of bamboo and carrier for decapitataed head. A sharp edge was put on the bamboo by stripping off a small piece for each execution! Case no. 63/J.E.S"
One label stuck to the inside of the knife reads "Presented to Mr. Wardlaw Thompson by a number of New Guinea chiefs.
Purchased and disposed by Evan Spicer Esq."
Another label stuck next to this reads
" Executioners knife.
New Guinea
Made of bamboo.
Has cut off 4
and perhaps 8 heads"
execution knife
Collection Information
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