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Dilukai (gable figure)

late 19th–early 20th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 351
The Belau archipelago comprises one large and numerous smaller islands north of New Guinea. In Belauan society, men are grouped according to age and status. Until the mid-twentieth century, each group had a separate men's house in which they spent most of their time. Men's houses were impressive structures with high pitched roofs and large triangular gables, decorated with carvings and paintings.
The interior beams and gable planks were adorned with incised and painted images depicting scenes from local legends. Female figures such as this one were often placed above the entrance to the men's house. The figures depict a legendary woman named Dilukai whose excessive promiscuity caused her angry father to tie her in an exposed position to warn village women to be more chaste. Ironically, men's houses were frequently home to prostitutes sent from other villages to earn wealth for their families.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Dilukai (gable figure)
  • Artist: Belauan artist
  • Date: late 19th–early 20th century
  • Geography: Republic of Palau, Caroline Islands
  • Culture: Belauan
  • Medium: Wood, paint
  • Dimensions: H. 26 in. × W. 38 in. × D. 10 1/4 in. (66 × 96.5 × 26 cm)
  • Classification: Wood-Sculpture
  • Credit Line: The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Gift of Nelson A. Rockefeller, and Purchase, Nelson A. Rockefeller Gift, 1970
  • Object Number: 1978.412.1558a-d
  • Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing

Audio

Cover Image for 1703. Gable Figure (Dilukai), Part 1

1703. Gable Figure (Dilukai), Part 1

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