This is a wooden bis pole carving produced by the Asmat peoples of Papua New Guinea. It depicts a man in the upper portion sitting on his elbows and knees, seemingly either dead or in contemplation. The figure is interconnected into the rest of the piece, which consists of other geometric designs. Half of the piece consists of swirling patterns with crescents carved into them. The bottom portion of the piece, which would have been attached to another wooden carving, has minor discoloration and rough textures. The entire piece is painted in red, with remnants of white pigments in several areas.
Carvings such as this were produced by many Asmat communities as ways of remembering the dead during funerary services. They would typically be placed at the top of a much taller pole carved in the shape of human figures, representing the line of family members. Items such as this would have been placed outside the home of the deceased’s house as a reminder of his or her loss in the community. In much of Asmat culture, no death was considered accidental. Deaths were believed to be either the result of enemy headhunting raids or sorcery, which created an imbalance in society that had to be remedied by capturing an enemy head. After this had been done and balance restored, bis poles and other carvings would be discarded in sago groves so that their spiritual energies would rejuvenate the sago.
Colors: Brown, Red, Black, White
