Commemorative head

Commemorative heads were created by women potters in honor of a deceased chief or highranking elder, portraying him in a generic and idealized fashion. After the funeral, vases were scattered across the burial grounds for the collection of sacrificial offerings, while the heads were placed in the nearby woods. The tradition dates at least as far back as the 16th century, based on travelers’ accounts from the time, and lived on until the 1970s.