This is a wooden sago platter carved by Asmat ethnographic artists in Papua New Guinea during the late twentieth century. It features an oblong platter body capped with a handle decorated in the style of a human head. The curved surface features elaborate carvings of sago tree fronds painted in variations of red, white, and black pigments. The reverse hollowed surface features a large deposit of worn white pigment with a cross section painted in bright red. The head itself is very simplistic, with little feature definition. The mouth, eyes, and ears are painted in red, while the rest of the face bears only some remnants of white pigment which has since faded with time. There is considerably little patina, with only paint fragments found throughout the piece’s surface.
Color plays an important role in Asmat society and carried across tribal distinctions. White is known as mbi and is created by the crushing and burning of river mussel shells. Red is called wasah and is created by mixing various different clays found in upstream riverbeds. Black is a base color, formed from ash and charcoal byproducts. Color in Asmat society is widely believed to have magical properties, with different patterns denoting ideas such as strength, fertility, and mysticism.
Prior to the intervention of foreign missionaries in the late twentieth century, platters such as this were often associated with the practice of headhunting. After headhunting raids had been performed, a fallen enemy’s brain matter would be served in ceremonial means in the community house, the jeu, on platters. This ritual was widely associated with rejuvenation and fertility ideals. After this practice was phased out, the consumption of Capricorn beetles and roasted sago palm took over the functionality of platters. As their lives went on, platters were sometimes transitioned to serving as basins for the mixing of pigments for further decoration. Asmat carved objects are intended for long use, meaning that everything has a practical application over time.
Colors: White, Red, Black, Brown