This is a wooden Asmat ancestor carving made of dark, unpainted wood. It features a single figure in abstract design, with thin limbs and oversized head. The figure is built into the frame of the carving, with a pole attached to the base of the chin. The legs extend all the way to the bottom of the piece, where they bend downwards to the base. The hands are resting upon either side of the face. The figure is clearly male, based on the characteristic phallic carving at the waist.
Ancestor carvings such as this are produced by the Asmat communities as reflections of people who have died. Often, they are carved in celebration of the festival for the Great Woodcarver Fumeripits, who is said to have carved the first humans out of the wood of the sago tree. In other instances, carvings such as this are placed outside the home of recently deceased individuals until their death has been avenged by a headhunting raid. After the occasions are over, carvings are discarded in the rainforests so that the spirits which inhabit them can rejuvenate the sago trees.
Colors: Black, Brown
