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Coaxing the Spirits to Dance: Art of the Papuan Gulf

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Enlarge Figure (bioma or agiba)
Papuan Gulf, Era River area
Wood, pigment; 35 x 8 3/4 x 1 1/2 in. (88.9 x 22.2 x 3.8 cm)
Gordon Sze

This figure was collected in 1930 by the Swiss anthropologist Paul Wirz, the first foreigner to visit the Era River longhouses. As on many boards, bioma depict spirits in human form, often dancing. Wirz concentrated on taking photographs while collecting objects for museums. His publications incorporate sketches and photographs of many of the objects he collected, including this one.

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