This is a wooden Asmat carving which depicts two human figures, one female and one male. It is unpainted and retains its dark brown wood coloration. There is significant previous damage to the head of the female figure, with cracks indicating that it may have broken apart at one point. The piece seems to have been previously repaired by using a mixture of wood glue and concrete, located at the center brow and right temple, respectively. The larger figure is female, as indicated by the characteristic genitalia carving on the lower waist. She is holding the sides of her face with both hands. The much smaller male figure is carved between the female figure’s legs, facing outwards. The image of the smaller figure emerging from the larger figure may represent a kind of birthing occasion or ritual. Both figures feature carved lines across their bodies, possibly as a stylized representation of musculature.
Carvings such as this are often produced in Asmat communities as representations of ancestors or to commemorate important cultural beliefs. Ancestral worship plays and important role in Asmat culture, as the spirits of ancestors are believed to have active involvement in the mortal world. Ancestral figures are commemorated through carving and are often called upon to grant artists their spiritual power through carvings. After the primary function of carvings has been fulfilled, they are often discarded in the rainforests so that the spirits which inhabit them may rejuvenate the sago trees.
Colors: Brown
