Coconut charm to ward off evil spirits, Papua New Guinea, 18

LaKaKare charms from Papua New Guinea were often made from carved coconuts. The charms represented marine creatures – in this case a swordfish – or the heads of pigs. This charm has a swordfish jaw attached at the bottom. The hollow coconut would have been filled with substances believed to have magical powers. The fibre bag allowed travellers to carry the charm around their necks to ward off dang…