Shrunken head

An authentic shrunken head is a human head that has been prepared for display.

The manufacture of shrunken heads was formerly the specialty of a number of ethnic groups that practiced headhunting, most notoriously the Jívaro or Shuar people of present day Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru; among the Shuar, shrunken heads are called tsantsa. The process of preparing a human head for the shrinking process involved a sort of tanning. The skull was removed from the head. Fat from the flesh of the head was removed. The flesh was then boiled in water in which a number of herbs containing tannins were steeped, then dried with hot rocks and sand, while being molded by the preparer to retain its human feature. The eyes and lips were sewn shut, and various decorative beads were added to the head.

The practice of making shrunken heads originally had religious significance; the heads were kept as trophies showing the successful defeat of an enemy, and were believed to harness the spirits of those enemies and compel them to serve the shrinker.

At first, cultural restrictions meant that deaths from traditional conflict were relatively rare; few shrunken heads were made. When outsiders created an economic demand for shrunken heads, however, there was an incentive to kill and many people were killed simply to supply collectors and tourists.

Currently, most are fake shrunken heads made from leather and animal hides, carved to resemble the originals. These are manufactured as curios for the tourist trade. The presence or absence of nose hair is one clue that will tell you whether a shrunken head is in fact authentic or a replica.