M0005248: Man wearing skull of deceased relative, Andaman Islands

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Photograph of a man from the Andaman Islands wearing the skull of a dead relative suspended down his back, worn as a memorial and to heal sickness. Around his head is a chau-ga-ta memorial necklace, made from the bones of a deceased relative. These necklaces were also worn to heal pain and to prevent sickness. The photograph is from an unknown source. The Wellcome Historical Medical Museum also produced a print of the negative: PHO 10489

M0005248: Man wearing skull of deceased relative, Andaman Islands

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