Overmodelled skull

An overmodelled skull is a skull covered with various materials to reconstruct the appearance of a human head. This technique of art and religion is described in many countries throughout the ages.

Origins

A custom that has existed since the Neolithic era, it is widespread in Oceania and the Near East. It originated as a cult of ancestors and consists of covering the dry skull with a plastic material, such as earth, clay, ash, plaster or lime. Skulls can be embellished with pigments, jewellery etc. Sometimes, skulls of animals are also over-modelled.

References

Articles annexes

Bibliography

  • Alain Nicolas, Art papou, Nouvelles Éditions Scala, Paris, 2000 & L'art papou : Austronésiens et Papous de Nouvelle-Guinée (catalogue d'exposition, Musée de Marseille, 2000.
  • Maxime Rovere, Magali Melandri, Rouge kwoma : peintures mythiques de Nouvelle-Guinée : exposition, Paris, Musée du quai Branly, 14 octobre 2008-4 janvier 2009, Réunion des musées nationaux : Musée du quai Branly, Paris, 2009,ISBN 978-2-915133-93-6.
  • Objets de pouvoir en Nouvelle-Guinée (in French). Saint-Germain-en-Laye: Réunion des musées nationaux : musée d'Archéologie nationale. 2006.
  • Anthony JP Meyer, Oceanic Art, Könemann, 1995.
  • Arthur C. Aufderheide, Overmodeled Skulls, Heide Press, 2009


Uses material from the Wikipedia article Overmodelled skull, released under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license.