| Pisuwe | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Dagger |
| Place of origin | New Guinea: Indonesia (South Papua) |
| Service history | |
| Used by | Asmat people |
| Specifications | |
| Length | c. 13.25 in (337 mm) |
| Blade type | Spike |
| Hilt type | Human femur or Cassowary bone |
Pisuwe is a dagger from the island of New Guinea. Ndam pisuwe[1] or Ndam emak pisuwe are those that are made with human femur bone and Pi pisuwe are for those that are made with Cassowary bone.[2] Prior to the colonization of the Dutch in the 1950s, these daggers are carried by the Asmat people[1] and they are used only in ritual killings.[2] These daggers are usually embellished with Cassowary feathers at the pommel and decorated with carved in artworks depicting humans and animals.[1] Asmat men would wear this dagger as part of their traditional attire during customary ceremonies by girding it on the side of their waist.[3]
- ^ a b c Eric Kjellgren (2007). Oceania: Art of the Pacific Islands in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Metropolitan Museum of Art. p. 32. ISBN 978-15-883-9238-1.
- ^ a b Tobias Schneebaum (1985). Asmat Images from the Collection of the Asmat Museum of Culture and Progress: Text, Photographs, and Drawings. The Museum. p. 197. ISBN 09-187-2859-2.
- ^ Muhammad Husni & Tiarma Rita Siregar (2000). Perhiasan Tradisional Indonesia. Direktorat Jenderal Kebudayaan. p. 40. OCLC 47893714.