KUCHING: Trophy skulls, one of Borneo’s most misunderstood and culturally complex traditions, came under the spotlight at a Borneo Cultures Museum talk here Sunday.
Renowned anthropologist, linguist and museographer, Dr Antonio J. Guerreiro, shed light on the practice of headhunting and symbolism behind trophy skulls.
The event, organised by the Kuching Heritage Awareness Society, with support from the Sarawak Heritage Society, was attended by about 90 people, among whom were members of the Kuching Heritage Awareness Society and heritage enthusiasts.
Drawing on his decades of research and fieldwork among indigenous communities in Borneo, Guerreiro’s presentation offered deep insights into the ritual, social and spiritual dimensions of headhunting, and how these ancestral practices continue to shape identity and memory in modern times.
His talk, titled ‘Borneo Trophy Skulls’ Heritage and Art from the Traditional to the Post-Modern’, was part of an ongoing effort by the museum to bridge historical narratives with contemporary cultural understanding, fostering appreciation for the island’s rich and layered heritage.
The session provided a contextual approach to Borneo’s trophy skull ornamentation, considering both osteological issues, carving and decorative materials, patterns and their meanings.
In his talk, Guerreiro said, from the perspective of heritage, various aspects are taken into account, for instance, how these former war trophies are used and displayed in local communities and in museums.
He added that since the early 2000s, a growing fascination in Vanities and Skull imagery has generated production of artworks, replicas and related items catering to this specific art market.
Based on long-term research and the author’s publications, the talk mapped out a little-known aspect of Borneo’s indigenous arts and cultures.
Guerreiro, a senior researcher in IRASIA (CNRS/Aix-Marseille Universite, and a member of ICOM-France, specialises in Indianised and tribal cultures of Southeast Asia, particularly Borneo.
He is currently honorary curator of Indonesian and Oceanic Premier Art at Museum Pasifik, Bali, Indonesia.
