Vintage Kalabubu Warrior Torque Necklace Nias
Coconut and Brass
4 available. Numbered in photo with head opening measurement supplied.
This splendid circular torque necklace, known as a kalabubu, originates from southern Nias, Sumatra. Bold in form, it is constructed from brass wire strung with highly polished coconut-shell discs, carefully arranged to create a smooth black ring. The tapering ends are secured by a brass clasp finished with a decorative flat brass buckle. Worn by aristocratic men of southern Nias, kalabubu necklaces were treasured heirloom possessions and powerful symbols of prestige.
They proclaimed that the wearer had taken a human head from an outsider group and returned it to the village, an act believed to bring creative and protective forces to the community. Within Nias culture, headhunting was closely associated with nobility, masculinity, and power. After the Dutch prohibited headhunting on Nias in the early twentieth century, warrior regalia continued to be preserved as ancestral heirlooms and employed in ceremonial performances.
