Anthropology Artifacts Collection | Wheaton College Archives & Special Collections

Collection Overview

Title: Anthropology Artifacts Collection

ID: WC-Anth/Main

Extent: 0.0

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The anthropology artifacts collection contains a wide range of items that document the material culture from around the world and was received as gifts. The artifact descriptions were created from existing information created near the time of acquisition as well as research conducted by students.

Box and Folder Listing

Box 15

Item 51: CD-114-5-5 -- [artifact name unknown]

Lip Ornament

References Cited: Gross, Daniel. 1973. Peoples and Cultures of Native South America. Doubleday, New York.

Karsten, Rafael. 1926. The Civilization of the South American Indians with Special Reference to Magic and Religion. Trubner & Co, New York. Steward, Julian H. 1949. Handbook of South American Indians Vol. 5. Government Printing Office, Washington.

Survival International. 2001. Brazil: Guarani Respected Shaman Dies. Electronic Document, http://www.survival-international.org/news.php?id=130, accessed on 10/12/06.

Wallis, E.E. 1973. Aucas Downriver. Harper and Row, New York.

Wilson, David and Salomon, Frank. 2006. Native Americans of Middle and South America. Electronic Document, http://encarta.msn.com/text_701509044___2/Native_Americans_of_Middle_and_South_America.html, accessed on 10/12/06.

Additional Information: http://www.geocities.com/kynodesmae/amerindian.htm

Culture: Probably Huarani

Culture Area: Ecuador

Date Acquired: [Unknown]

Dimensions: 22.5 cm long and 4 mm wide.

Donor: Rachel Saint

General Area of the World: South America

Material: Wood and feathers

Outline of Cultural Materials Code: 301; 304

Outline of World Cultures Code: [undetermined]

Use and Background: The ritual of lip piercing is slowly fading as many South American tribes see the beginning of modernization (Gross 1973), it has however always been a very dominant feature in South American tribal life (Wilson and Salomon 2006). It is difficult to pinpoint an exact culture for such an item because the practice of piercing the lip was and is so prevalent (Karsten 1926) in South America. It is likely that this particular ornament is from the Huarani culture since Rachel Saint spent so much time with that tribe (Wallis 1973). Very commonly the piercing was a practice of initiation of some sort. Once a boy was ready to pass into manhood (the tribal recognition of such) then and only then would he receive the lip piercing (Steward 1949) and become a man. In other instances a Shaman (a spiritual leader and healer who was responsible for the overall good of the community) would perform ritual piercing on infants and young men so as to guard the mouths of the young ones so evil spirits could not enter their bodies (sickness) or to bring them into manhood. (Survival 2001)

Item 52: CD-114-5-8 -- [artifact name unknown]

A wooden container filled with fifteen brightly decorated sticks. Nine of them are thinner and have white thread with yellow, orange, and black feathers on it. The other six are thicker and are wrapped in white thread and have blue and red feathers on them.

Additional Information: For Information on the Bororo: http://lucy.ukc.ac.uk/EthnoAtlas/Hmar/Cult_dir/Culture.7832 http://indian cultures.com/Cultures/bororo.html

Culture: Mato Gross region of the Western Amazon in Brazil

Culture Area: South America

Date Acquired: [Unknown]

Dimensions: 24 cm long, Thick ones: 1 cm wide, Thin ones: 0.5 cm wide

Donor: Hudson Armerding

General Area of the World: The Bororo (but common to many other groups in the Western Amazon Basin) or Waodani

Material: Wood, cotton thread, and feathers. A kind of paint for the designs as well.

Outline of Cultural Materials Code: 301 B Ornament, 304 B Mutilation, 305 B Beauty Specialists

References Cited: Fric, Vojtech, and Paul Radin 1906 Contributions to the Study of the Bororo Indians (With a description of an Ethnographic Collection Presented to the Berlin Museum fur Volkerkunde). The Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland 36: 382 406. Serpa, Paulo n.d. Bororo. Electronic document, http://socioambiental.org/pib/epienglish/bororo/cerimon.shtm#, accessed October 9.

Use and Background: There are several different types of lip ornaments that have similar styles to the ones described here. The Bororo, of the Mato Grosso Region of Brazil have at least four varieties. The one that most closely resembles these ornaments consist of a shaft of wood with three to five clusters of feathers attached along its length (Fric 1906). In Bororo society, all the men wear these lip sticks or lip chains inserted into their lower lips (Fric 1906). Beautification of the body seems to be one of the main uses of these lip sticks, however they hold some ceremonial or spiritual significance as well. One source spoke of the representatives of a deceased relative perforating their own ears and lower lips for the dead (Serpa n.d.). This is a possibility, but the use of lip sticks is not limited to this alone. Because these lip ornaments are so common to the region, it is hard to say with certainty that these actually belong to the Bororo people. Other possibilities include the Waodani (also known as Auca) Indians of Ecuador, along with several other people groups in the Western Amazon Basin.

Item 53: CD-114-5-8-entry2 -- [artifact name unknown]

References Cited: Fric, Vojtech, and Paul Radin

1906 Contributions to the Study of the Bororo Indians (With a description of an Ethnographic Collection Presented to the Berlin Museum fur Volkerkunde). The Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland 36: 382 406

Serpa, Paulo n.d.. Bororo. Electronic document, http://socioambiental.org/pib/epienglish/bororo/cerimon.shtm#, accessed October 9.

Additional Information: For Information on the Bororo:http://lucy.ukc.ac.uk/EthnoAtlas/Hmar/Cult_dir/Culture.7832 http://indian cultures.com/Cultures/bororo.html

Culture: The Bororo (but common to many other groups in the Western Amazon Basin)

Culture Area: Mato Gross region of the Western Amazon in Brazil

Date Acquired: [Unknown]

Dimensions: On average: 24 cm long, Thick ones: 1 cm wide, Thin ones: 0.5 cm wide

Donor: Hudson Armerding

General Area of the World: South America

Material: Wood, cotton thread, and feathers. A kind of paint for the designs as well.

Outline of Cultural Materials Code: 301 B Ornament, 304 B Mutilation, 305 B Beauty Specialists

Outline of World Cultures Code: [undetermined]

Use and Background: There are several different types of lip ornaments that have similar styles to the ones described here. The Bororo, of the Mato Grosso Region of Brazil have at least four varieties. The one that most closely resembles these ornaments consist of a shaft of wood with three to five clusters of feathers attached along its length (Fric 1906). In Bororo society, all the men wear these lip sticks or lip chains inserted into their lower lips (Fric 1906). Beautification of the body seems to be one of the main uses of these lip sticks. As far as ceremonial or spiritual significance, one source spoke of the representatives of a deceased relative perforating their own ears and lower lips for the dead (Serpa n.d.). This is a possibility, but the use of lip sticks is not limited to this alone. Because these lip ornaments are so common to the region, it is hard to say with certainty that these actually belong to the Bororo people. Other possibilities include the Waodani (or Auca) Indians of Ecuador, along with several other people groups in the Western Amazon Basin. There was no information on lip ornaments pertaining to any other tribes, and so the Bororo served as the model for the ones in the virtual museum.

Item 54: CD-114-6-5 -- [artifact name unknown]

Additional Information: For Information on the Bororo: http://lucy.ukc.ac.uk/EthnoAtlas/Hmar/Cult_dir/Culture.7832 http://indian cultures.com/Cultures/bororo.html

Culture: Mato Gross region of the Western Amazon in Brazil

Culture Area: South America

Date Acquired: [Unknown]

Dimensions: 24 cm long, Thick ones: 1 cm wide, Thin ones: 0.5 cm wide

Donor: Hudson Armerding

General Area of the World: The Bororo (but common to many other groups in the Western Amazon Basin) or Waodani

Material: Wood, cotton thread, and feathers. A kind of paint for the designs as well.

Outline of Cultural Materials Code: 301 B Ornament, 304 B Mutilation, 305 B Beauty Specialists