Scarification Collection

Madimba - Congo - Pipe-smoking lady
A rather powerful looking lady from the Congo, smoking a pipe and carrying a large wicker basket on her head. She is the wife of the Chief of the Mpongo Tribe of Kibweta, Madimba, Congo, Africa

Sarcee man Massika in feather headdress and face tattoo or scarification
FLO4605335 Sarcee man Massika in feather headdress and face tattoo or scarification, and Blackfoot chief Mehkskeme-Sukahs with feather headdress, medicine fetish and bearskin cape

Australian aborigines with body painting and scarification. Woman Worogan from Sydney area
FLO4624361 Australian aborigines with body painting and scarification. Woman Worogan from Sydney area, man with body painting Y-Erran-Gou-La-Ga, and head of man with moustache

Female figure with child (ekwotame), Idoma or Tiv, Nigeria, 19th century (wood)
HSC104299 Female figure with child (ekwotame), Idoma or Tiv, Nigeria, 19th century (wood); height: 68.5 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: Collection Dr. Lawrence R)

the art of scarification
Linda Wride

Misty Morning in Omo Valley
Tori E Bohn

Australian aborigines with body painting and scarification. Woman Worogan from Sydney area, man with body painting Y-Erran-Gou-La-Ga, and head of man with moustache

Nigeria, Ife bronze crowned head with scarification, 12th to 15th century AD in Ife museum

Shows As He Goes by Edward S. Curtis, c. 1904 (toned silver print)
2622387 Shows As He Goes by Edward S. Curtis, c.1904 (toned silver print) by Curtis, Edward Sheriff (1868-1952) ; Private Collection; (add.info.: Portrait of Shows As He Goes by Edward S)

Laarim girl scarified
Trevor Cole

Tasmanian Aborigine, 1812 (colour litho)
468703 Tasmanian Aborigine, 1812 (colour litho) by French School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Labelled Terre de Diemen, or Van Diemens Land)

Australian Aborigine, 1812 (colour litho)
468701 Australian Aborigine, 1812 (colour litho) by French School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Labelled Nouvelle-Hollande, or New Holland)

Australian Aborigine, a man called Cour-rou-bari-gal, from New Holland
468700 Australian Aborigine, a man called Cour-rou-bari-gal, from New Holland, 1812 (colour litho) by French School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Labelled Nouvelle-Hollande)

Portrait of a Maori man, before 1880 (b / w photo)
740710 Portrait of a Maori man, before 1880 (b/w photo) by New Zealander Photographer (19th century); Private Collection; New Zealander, out of copyright

Luba Hemba stool (wood)
1123873 Luba Hemba stool (wood) by Congolese; height: 42.5 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: the support carved as two standing figures on domed base)

Body mask (wood)
2973730 Body mask (wood) by Yoruba Culture; height: 56.5 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: The protruding navel surrounded by scarification highlighted in blue pigment)

Portrait of a Maori man, Taraia Ngakuti te Tumuhuia, with Moko Facial Tattoos
495410 Portrait of a Maori man, Taraia Ngakuti te Tumuhuia, with Moko Facial Tattoos, c.1860s (b/w photo) by Bishop, G. W

Natives of Tasmania (Van Diemens Land)
Natives of Tasmania, Van Diemens Land. Grou Agara, man with scarification on his chest and animal-skin cape, and Arra-Maida, woman with child on her back in kangaroo papoose

Tattooed or scarified guards at the door to the Queens Palace, Tandi, Angola. There are 500 guards, with three at the main door: two seated with clubs, and one standing with spear, bow and arrows

Double portrait, c. 1900 (gelatin silver print)
622588 Double portrait, c.1900 (gelatin silver print) by Dodds, Reverand Charles (1869-1934); 8.8x13.9 cm; Private Collection; eMichael Graham-Stewart; English, out of copyright

Portrait, c. 1930 (gelatin silver print)
622590 Portrait, c.1930 (gelatin silver print) by Freeman, H. S. (fl.1930); 15.4x10.7 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: Stamped: H.S)

Congo tribesmen and fetish figures guard the palace of the Saba or sovereign, c
468714 Congo tribesmen and fetish figures guard the palace of the Saba or sovereign, c.1820s-30s (colour litho) by Italian School

Portrait of a Maori man, before 1880 (b / w photo)
740709 Portrait of a Maori man, before 1880 (b/w photo) by New Zealander Photographer (19th century); Private Collection; New Zealander, out of copyright

Portrait of a Maori man, before 1880 (b / w photo)
740711 Portrait of a Maori man, before 1880 (b/w photo) by New Zealand Photographer, (19th century); Private Collection; New Zealander, out of copyright

Maori Man with Facial Te Moko Tattoo, 1860 (b / w photo)
495409 Maori Man with Facial Te Moko Tattoo, 1860 (b/w photo) by Bishop, G. W. (fl.1860s); Private Collection; (add.info)

Hori Kingi Te Anaua, Leader of the Ngati Ruaka Tribe, c. 1860 (b / w photo)
495408 Hori Kingi Te Anaua, Leader of the Ngati Ruaka Tribe, c.1860 (b/w photo) by Bishop, G. W. (fl.1860s); Private Collection; (add.info.: Te Anaua, of Putiki Wharanui pa)

Aoua, Femme Banda, c. 1925 (oil on canvas)
1195911 Aoua, Femme Banda, c. 1925 (oil on canvas) by Iacovleff, Alexandre (1887-1938); 64.8x46.4 cm; Private Collection; Photo eChristies Images; Russian, out of copyright

Old man from Central Sahara - Africa - Remarkable headdress
Old man from Central Sahara (Mali?) - Africa wearing a remarkable headdress cap adorned with sea shells. Date: circa 1904

Nigeria, Ife bronze head of a man with scarification, 12th to 15th century AD in Ife museum

Native of Mozambique, 1848. Artist: Ebenezer Landells
Native of Mozambique, 1848. An engraving from the Natural History of Man, by James Cowles Prichard, published by Hippolyte Bailliere, (London, third edition, 1848)

Nubian women wear bright dresses and headscarves even though they are Muslims. Many of the older generation have tribal scars on their faces

East African Tribesman - Extensive Scarification, Nose Chain
A postcard produced by Consolata Missionaries, an Italian Roman Catholic missionary congregation operating in Africa. Dramatic scarification on the shoulders of this East African tribesman

Congo, Africa - Terrifying Warrior with bullet piercings
A Bougbou Tribesman from the region close to the start of the Kotto, a major tributary of the Ubangi right bank, so a sub-tributary of the Congo River - Congo, Central Africa - Terrifying (pre-punk)

Ornamental scars on face and sharpened and filed teeth
Photograph of a couple from upper Congo, Central Africa - bearing facial scarification and sharpened upper teeth and filed bottom teeth

Lubra, an Australian aborigine woman, 1850
Lubra, an Australian aborigine woman of Port Philip, pictured in 1850 with her hunting spear. She wears sheepskin here, with some tattooing or scarification visible on her chest. Date: 1850

Traditional facial scarification in Congo, Central Africa
Traditional facial scarification of a woman in the Congo, Central Africa. The text on the back of the card reads thus: " The old man and her have not fallen out - oh no

A Nubian Girl - Egypt Date: circa 1910s

Man from The Congo, Africa - Scarification
Portrait of a man from The Congo, Central Africa - bearing remarkable facial scarification in the form of cosses, dots, lines and zig-zags Date: circa 1920s

African men with sharpened teeth
Two native black African men from the Mankaignes Tribe of Senegal smile to show off their sharpened teeth, filed down to points

Girl from Gabon, Africa
Striking young woman from Gabon, Africa. She displayes traditional body scarification on the upper section of her right arm, close to the shoulder

Dinka Man - Sudan, Africa
A fine portrait photograph of a man of the Dinka Tribe, Sudan, showing ritual scarification on the chest, headdress, neck beads and wound torc

Burkina Faso (Upper Volta) Toucouleurs (Fula) Woman
A Fula (Toucouleurs) Woman from Bukina Faso (Upper Volta), a landlocked country in West Africa. Date: circa 1920s

Egyptian woman with scarification, circa 1890, Egypt. Date: circa 1890

Children from Sierra Leone
Two young children from Sierra Leone, West Africa Date: circa 1910s

Bamum Woman - Cameroon - Extensive back scarification
A Bamum Woman and child from Cameroon, Central Africa, showing dramatic and extensive back scarification in regular patterns. Date: circa early 1930s

Picture No. 10780616
Ethiopia - scarification ritual among Surma: tribe of southwest Ethiopia. Skin that is cut with a razor then pulled. Date:

Two Nubian men - Egypt
A very fine photographic postcard depicting two Nubian men - Egypt

All Professionally Made to Order for Quick Shipping

"Unveiling the Art of Scarification: A Journey Through Cultural Traditions" Step into the world of scarification, where ancient rituals and cultural expressions leave indelible marks on the body. From Madimba in Congo to Tasmania's Van Diemen's Land, these captivating practices tell stories of identity, strength, and resilience. In the heartland of Congo, a pipe-smoking lady named Madimba proudly displays her intricate scar patterns. Each mark represents a rite of passage or tribal affiliation, echoing centuries-old traditions that bind communities together. Across vast oceans lies Van Diemen's Land - once home to Tasmanian natives who faced extermination by colonists. Grou Aagara stands tall with scarification adorning his chest and an animal-skin cape draped over his shoulders. His scars speak volumes about survival amidst adversity while Arra-Maida carries her child in a kangaroo papoose - a testament to motherhood intertwined with ancestral heritage. Venturing further east brings us face-to-face with East African tribesmen boasting extensive scar patterns etched across their bodies. Their nose chains symbolize status and lineage within their community, showcasing both beauty and bravery in equal measure. Journeying back to Congo reveals a terrifying warrior adorned with bullet piercings - an intimidating sight that strikes fear into enemies' hearts. Ornamental scars grace his face alongside sharpened teeth; each detail contributing to his fearsome presence as he protects his tribe from harm. Traveling down under unveils Lubra, an Australian aborigine woman from 1850 whose facial scars narrate tales of tradition passed down through generations. Her story intertwines with Nigeria's Ife bronze crowned head displayed at Ife museum – its intricate scarification dating back centuries ago when artistry merged seamlessly with spirituality. Zulu Maid showcases not only traditional beadwork but also delicate yet meaningful scar patterns etched onto her skin – symbols of cultural pride and heritage.