The imposing ancestor effigies, or rambaramp, of southern Malakula, in Vanuatu, are among the most visually striking of the island's diverse sculptural traditions. Each depicts a prominent recently deceased individual whose spirit has joined the ranks of the ancestors, the powers of which ensure the well-being of the community. The spirit itself resides in the skull, which forms the head of the image and is covered with a papier-mâché-like paste of finely chopped plant fiber to create a portrait of the individual in life. The body consists of the same material laid over a framework of bamboo, wood, and fibrous leaves.

Southern Malakulan societies practiced a complex system of progressive religious initiations, and only individuals who achieved the highest levels, or "grades," were entitled to have their spirits reside in a rambaramp. This example from Tomman Island, off the southern coast of Malakula, commemorates a man who had undergone nine of a possible eleven grade initiations during his lifetime. The "herringbone" body designs, elaborate shoulder projections, and shell trumpets clutched in the hands mark his exalted status. The masklike faces represent idealized supernatural beings and combine features of humans with those of the sacred pigs revered throughout Vanuatu.