Banded guitarfish skull (Zapteryx exasperata). The most exquisite and important

The most exquisite and important of all royal ceremonial costumes is bwaantshy

This one has The Cruciferae (Wallflower) and The Rosaceae (Cherry tree) on one side whilst on the reverse is The Ranunculacae (Buttercup) and the Umbelliferae (Carrot)

These are made by the Bena Bena people of the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea

They breed in huge colonies with a density of up to 20 pairs on one square metre of rock

but I think that this wear just gives it provenance and a truly authentic look

Banded guitarfish skull (Zapteryx exasperata). The most exquisite and importantThis is a beautifully prepared and mounted skull of a banded guitarfish Zapteryx exasperata. The banded guitarfish is an elasmobranch related to the rays although the body shape is half way between rays and typical shark form. Their diet is animals living in the sand and mud such as crabs and shellfish. As you can see on the jaws of this skull, the teeth are flattened for crushing hard shells. This skull has come from a specimen that was caught for