From headhunting to handicraft: Inside reclusive masked New Guinea tribe blamed for killing a Rockerfeller who turned their back on cannibalism for a peaceful life

  • Striking photographs taken by Italian explorer Gianluca Chiodini capture the current lives of the Asmat tribe
  • Tribe was accused of the murder of Michael Rockefeller, 23, in 1961 after he disappeared in New Guinea
  • Asmat people, who have a dark and violent history of headhunting, said to have stopped the practice in 1990s

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A reclusive New Guinea tribe which was accused of the gruesome murder of Michael Rockefeller has been captured in striking photographs years after the tribesmen turned their back on cannibalism. 

Intense portraits show the men, women and children of the Asmat tribe in Irian Jaya, Indonesia wearing lavish feathered headdresses and sacred masks of wood.

Other striking shots picture the tribe, which occupies a low-lying swampy region, gathering for a community meeting in a rudimentary hut and a group of tribesmen heading across the coastal waters of Papua on their own hand-hewn canoes.

The photographs, captured by photographer and explorer Gianluca Chiodini, 41, from Rome, only hint to the New Guinea tribe's dark, violent history.

Intense portraits captured by Gianluca Chiodini show elders of the Asmat tribe in Irian Jaya, Indonesia as they wear lavish feathered headdresses and sacred masks of wood

Intense portraits captured by Gianluca Chiodini show elders of the Asmat tribe in Irian Jaya, Indonesia as they wear lavish feathered headdresses and sacred masks of wood

Other shots picture the tribe gathering for a community meeting in traditional head wear and white and brown body paint

Other shots picture the tribe gathering for a community meeting in traditional head wear and white and brown body paint

The Asmat people spent centuries hunting down their enemies and removing their heads, sometimes transforming their decapitated skulls into pillows or using them as macabre bowls.

But the tribe is said to have 'officially' turned its back on headhunting in the 1990s in favour of a quieter, more peaceful life of woodcarving and creating handicrafts.

'I have always really wanted to go to Papua, in particular the Asmat area,' said Mr Chiodini, who works as a manager for an energy company.

'I discarded several expeditions to the area because they didn't include Asmat and chose a tour based on the recommendation of a local expert.

The photographs, captured by photographer and explorer Gianluca Chiodini, 41, from Rome, Italy, only hint to the New Guinea tribe's dark, violent history (Pictured: Young members of the Asmat tribe)

The photographs, captured by photographer and explorer Gianluca Chiodini, 41, from Rome, Italy, only hint to the New Guinea tribe's dark, violent history (Pictured: Young members of the Asmat tribe)

The Asmat people spent centuries hunting down their enemies and removing their heads, sometimes transforming their decapitated skulls into pillows (Pictured: A child in a sea shell hat)

The Asmat people spent centuries hunting down their enemies and removing their heads, sometimes transforming their decapitated skulls into pillows (Pictured: A child in a sea shell hat)

The tribe is said to have 'officially' turned its back on headhunting in the 1990s in favour of a quieter, more peaceful life of woodcarving and creating 'legendary' handicrafts

The tribe is said to have 'officially' turned its back on headhunting in the 1990s in favour of a quieter, more peaceful life of woodcarving and creating 'legendary' handicrafts

'I have always really wanted to go to Papua, in particular the Asmat area,' said Mr Chiodini, who works as a manager for an energy company

'I have always really wanted to go to Papua, in particular the Asmat area,' said Mr Chiodini, who works as a manager for an energy company

'Asmat handicraft is legendary of course and a big reason for my visit. Another was the beautiful body and facial decorations on display but most of all I yearned to explore a tribe which is close to "world limits"'.

The tribe, which still remains relatively isolated from the modern world, formed a community organisation, the Lembaga Musyawarah Adat Asmat, in 2000.  

This represents the needs and interests of the tribe, and promotes self-reliance, self-governance, and sustainable economic development.

The Asmat people became infamous in 1961 after they were accused of the murder of Michael Rockefeller, who was the son of then-New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller.

Pictured: A group of tribesmen
Pictured: Sacred wooden masks

The tribe, which still remains relatively isolated from the modern world, formed a community organisation, the Lembaga Musyawarah Adat Asmat, in 2000 (Left: A group of tribesmen and right: sacred wooden masks)

The tribe did not only hunt for skulls but also worshipped them, and believed that when they killed a man and ate him, they took his power and became him

The tribe did not only hunt for skulls but also worshipped them, and believed that when they killed a man and ate him, they took his power and became him

The heads of the deceased were stripped of the brain and the eyes and nasal parts were closed up in order to prevent evil spirits to enter or exit the body

The heads of the deceased were stripped of the brain and the eyes and nasal parts were closed up in order to prevent evil spirits to enter or exit the body

'You really need to want to go to Asmat, because it takes several days to get there, you need to sleep in tents in their longhouse, to navigate in narrow rivers and they are not that friendly', said Mr Chiodini.

'I knew the Rockefeller story before I got there, I was also a little bit scared because you cannot know what you will face when you arrive in the area.

'Officially headhunting ceased in the 1990s. What I can say is that Asmat are relatively isolated and their most important cultural traditions are still strong - you can feel it as you explore the area.'

The tribe did not only hunt for skulls, they also worshipped them. The heads of the deceased were stripped of the brain and the eyes and nasal parts were closed up in order to prevent evil spirits to enter or exit the body. 

Two Asmat tribesmen exhale smoke in a small hut while wearing elaborately decorated feathered hats and body paint

Two Asmat tribesmen exhale smoke in a small hut while wearing elaborately decorated feathered hats and body paint

Children were also covered in white paint within the tribe, which became infamous for its headhunting practices in the 20th century

Children were also covered in white paint within the tribe, which became infamous for its headhunting practices in the 20th century

Dozens of tribesmen sit crossed legged for a community meeting of the Asmat people, some with white paint across their bodies and heads

Dozens of tribesmen sit crossed legged for a community meeting of the Asmat people, some with white paint across their bodies and heads

A group of tribesmen head across the coastal waters of Papua on their own hand-hewn canoes near to the isolated village

A group of tribesmen head across the coastal waters of Papua on their own hand-hewn canoes near to the isolated village

The Asmat people became infamous in 1961 after they were accused of the murder of Michael Rockefeller (Pictured in New Guinea)

The Asmat people became infamous in 1961 after they were accused of the murder of Michael Rockefeller (Pictured in New Guinea)

Skulls that were modified and decorated were then displayed by the Asmat in an honourable place in their homes. The tribe were said to believe that when they killed a man and ate him, they took his power and became him.

Each of the thousands of tribesmen was named after someone deceased, or after a killed enemy. 

It is, however, believed headhunting ceased in the 1990s when Catholic missionaries suppressed the practice. 

Pictured: Italian photographer Gianluca Chiodini, 41, who captured the striking photographs

Pictured: Italian photographer Gianluca Chiodini, 41, who captured the striking photographs

Their biggest alleged scalp was Rockefeller, who had been exploring New Guinea in 1961 in search of treasures to bring home and put on display in New York City.

He visited Asmat during the trip - a region he described as 'wild and somehow more remote country than what I have ever seen before' - where he had a pragmatic relationship with the local tribes. 

But as his boat approached what is now Papua New Guinea on November 19, a sudden gust of wind churned the water and capsized Rockefeller's boat. Despite being 10 miles from dry land, he attempted to swim to shore.

In 2014, Carl Hoffman, a reporter for National Geographic, alleged in his book Savage Harvest that he believed Rockefeller was murdered and eaten by the Asmat people. 

According to years of research, the Oil Standard heir had managed to make it back to the island but was confronted by a bank of Asmat tribespeople who were fishing the waters.

But the tale didn't stop Mr Chiodini from visiting the area. The photographer recalls speaking to the tribal elders, who were old enough to have partaken in their tribe's history of cannibalism and headhunting, and being distracted by the notion as he asked the ancient warriors to pose for a photo.

'Being able to capture people in their environment and show what life is like in these places is a big part of what I enjoy about travel photography,' he said.

'In other worlds, connecting with locals, even if sometimes just with non-verbal language. This is when I take my best shots.' 

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