Item X 9622 Ornament, head. Arrernte. Desert East, Northern Territory, Australia. c.1900

Summary

A head ornament made of the tails of a small marsupial. It was most likely embedded in the hair for decoration.

Physical Description

This ornament is made of the tail tips of a small marsupial identified as a 'Perigale'. Each tail tips is embedded in resin and attached to a length of string made of animal fur.

Significance

It is rare for the source of the decorative elements added to ornamentation to be identified, however Baldwin Spencer noted this ornament is made of multiple tails of a small marsupial he knew as a "perigale".