Male Figure

19th century or earlier

Not on view

Board-like images are, or were, made in a number of areas of the Lower Sepik region. The body of this figure from the Keram River resembles the blade of a canoe paddle from whose surface a face, arms, and a phallus emerge to form a human image. This figure was almost certainly a sacred image portraying a powerful spirit or ancestor and was likely kept within the men’s ceremonial house of the village. The jaw line is embellished with cowrie shells, precious objects that served as ornaments and ceremonial currency. The figure appears to wear a headdress, adorned with cowrie shells and trimmed with the feathers of the cassowary, a large ostrich-like bird. The figure grasps a long cylindrical object, possibly representing a snake.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Provenance

References

Title: Male Figure
Date: 19th century or earlier
Geography: Papua New Guinea, Lower Sepik, Keram River region
Culture: Keram River region
Medium: Wood, feathers, cowrie shells, fiber
Dimensions: H. 70 in. (177.8 cm)
Classification: Wood-Sculpture
Credit Line: Gift of Evelyn A. J. Hall, 1981
Object Number: 1981.415.7
Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing

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