CENTRAL ASMAT, Irian Jaya, Indonesia. Axe symbolising "ainor" magic, with wooden handle and carved black stone. Champlevé decoration of curvilinear motifs, stylised symbols of the ancestors and a hornbill head carved at the top. For the Asmat, stone axes were one of the most important objects in trade networks, as no stone was found in the natural habitat of low-lying river areas. Length: 75 cm. Width: 18 cm. Provenance: -Jacques Cortecero Collection. -Henk Kouw Collection, 1963.