Papuan sacred stone knife?

[Sajen]

When the yellow material is indeed some sort of plastic I wouldn't mind when I am you. I have two salawaku (shields from Halmahera) in my collection where the inlays worked from plastic, both have a very nice using patina. Keep in mind that tribals have a different way of seeing the use of plastic. I have seen by a friend who deal with New Guinea artefacts a lot of contemporary items where was used plastic of different sort. Tribals use what they found and what seems useful for them. Nylon strings for example are much stronger and much more long living as natural materials so it would be in the eyes of a tribal absurd not using this material. It is the same with Moro gunongs from WW II times where are used aluminium. OK, in the eyes of a collector it may not look appealing but make the use of "modern" materials items non ethnograhic?

Regards,

Detlef