Featured Unique Antique Store

Here's some photos I took in a fascinating shop on Royale St. in New Orleans back in 1995.I believe these were for sale.
This store actually had 2 human skulls for sale- '100 to 200 Hundred Year Old Bound Yoruba Skull' and '2500 year old Egyptian Mummy Head'.
They had quite a collection of Tribal items.

 

Just imagine the remains of your grandparents on display like that, and worse, up for sale.
Not something that should be shown as interestig items, imo.

 

Although a number of cultures have practiced cranial deformation, the only African example is among the Mangbetu in the Congo, not the Yoruba.

 

With respect...I have no issues with such showing.

 

I'm sure they don't bite. It's fine.

 

Just took the skull pic down . Sorry to offend anyone out there (hence the large CAUTION warning in the headline).
I admit I was amazed that in the 90's a retail shop was selling human remains. It was definitely quite a unique store.

 

Ya probably did the right thing, Bosko...but I don't believe there was serious offense taken by anyone in our community.

 

Whatever I can do to bring the temp down in these fluid (& in the U.S. insane) times.
Amazing to see what they sold in New Orleans 30 years ago-what a city ! The Big Easy's one of the few US cities that come close to matching Europe for history and charm and a very heavy dose of the supernatural.

 

I can see those being sold in New Orleans, especially 30 years ago. Now...would be iffy, although actual items intended for occult use are probably just fine.

 

Re Occult US Cities-New Orlean's up there with Salem,MA. Though if you consider that roughly 107 billion human beings have died to date-every spot on Earth could be pretty supernatural.

 

There is no way that I would be able to display any of the items in those windows in my house. They would scare me to death! I wouldn't be able to walk through my own house, especially at night. Why do people buy stuff like that? (Although I am fascinated by the Day of the Dead items we see from Mexico, they don't scare me for some reason).

 

I'd feel rather spooked having a stranger's bones in my house (I may be irrationally superstitious). Selling someone's bones is a whole different matter-it's basically 'body snatching'...i'd think very bad karma.
Having a loved ones ashes on your mantel or jewelry is seen in a totally different light in Western culture though.
Of course in ancient times it was a regular practice to keep your ancestors close-you buried their bones under the floor.
I saw a documentary by Josh Gates where he visits the Toraja people of Indonesia,known for keeping the mummies of their ancestors in their homes . They believe the spirit of the deceased continues to protect their families and some even "feed" the bodies as if they were still alive.
In many parts of the world,the idea of not believing in ghosts is viewed as absurd.