Dagger

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Culture Iatmul

Title Dagger (Amia Ava)

Date Before mid 20th century

Medium Cassowary bone

Dimensions Object: 9 5/8 × 1 3/4 × 1 1/2 in. (24.4 × 4.4 × 3.8 cm)
Overall (includes mount): 10 1/8 × 1 7/8 × 1 7/8 in. (25.7 × 4.8 × 4.8 cm)

Credit Line Raymond and Laura Wielgus Collection, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University

Accession Number 75.99.2

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About this Work

Daggers were historically rare in Oceania and were found only in Hawai'i, the Admiralty Islands, and New Guinea. Bone daggers were unique to New Guinea and generally used for hand-to-hand fighting and for ritual. A human face shown in typical Iatmul style, with circle eyes and long, curving nose, is depicted on this dagger.

Provenance
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Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

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"Dagger | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=75.99.2