Quiver with blowgun
darts and attached
container for kapok
Maker: Yagua culture
Medium:Plant material, wood, cotton
Geography: Upper Amazon, Peru
Date: c. 1930
Dimensions:10 × 35 × 19 cm
Object number: HP582
Gallery Location:Shreyas and Mina Ajmera Gallery of Africa, the Americas and Asia-Pacific
DescriptionThe blowgun is the most important hunting weapon in the Amazonian region. Dart tips are soaked in a deadly mixture, with curare as the active ingredient. The blowgun is silent and extremely accurate. When hit, the animal's muscles are immediately paralyzed and it dies from asphyxiation. Once the muscles relax, the meat is tender. The poison works only in the blood and has no harmful effect when consumed.
