Asmat Box 1 | UNI Museum @ Rod Library

Displaying 1 - 6 of 6

	Catalog #	Name	Description
1	2000.2.18	Platter	This is a large rectangular sago platter crafted by peoples in the Asmat culture of Papua New Guinea, likely carved in the latter half of the twentieth century. The front curved surface is carved with a symmetrical design depicting a sago tree, which is carved half an inch into the surface and painted red. The outlines of the tree design are painted in black and the backdrop is painted in white. The sides of the platter are carved with triangular shapes set into rectangular patterns. The triangles are painted red as well. The bottom interior surface of the piece is painted white, but only remnants of the original pigment remain. The handle of the platter is carved in the shape of a male figure’s head. It features an elongated nose, prominent forehead, sunken eyes, large ears, an open smiling mouth, and a trench across both cheeks. The chin is prominent as well and the eyes, ears, and mouth are all painted red. In many examples of Asmat art, the twin colors of white and red are prominently featured. White paint is known as mbi, which is made from mussel shells through a process burning the shells into ash. The red is called wasah and is made from muds which are gathered at riverheads and villages which reside upstream. Platters such as this one are traditionally used by Asmat peoples for eating sago, one of the most prominent food staples of Papua New Guinea. The sago and the sago tree play a prominent role in many Asmat communities and folktales. The red coloration is considered to have magical properties and is a core aspect of an Asmat myth involving Ofomin, a man whose blood ran into the ground and mixed with the water to form red clay and mud. Platters such as these were often used to hold roasted balls of flour made from the sago palm and human brains collected in headhunting raids. The Capricorn beetle was also traditionally served in platters such as these, as they hold a ceremonial place in Asmat cuisine. It is commonly thought that the larval resemblance of the beetles to human brains contributed to their rise in popularity since the banning of headhunting practices by missionaries in the late twentieth century. Colors: Black, Red, White, Brown
2	2000.2.20	Platter	This is an oval-shaped wooden sago platter of modern Asmat origin. It was likely carved in the latter half of the twentieth century in the country of Papua New Guinea by Asmat artists. The curved surface of the platter is decorated with a symmetrical swirling sago tree pattern running lengthwise. The curved fronds of the tree are carved half an inch into the surface of the piece and are colored with a red paint, which has now faded to a rusty orange. The backdrop to the red fronds is painted white, creating a deep color contrast. At the top of the platter is a carved male face with an elongated nose, prominent forehead, and sunken eyes. The head features an open mouth with a prominent tongue. The eyes, mouth, and ears are painted red. The rim of the platter is also painted in the same red. The inside surface of the platter is undecorated and has no paint. In many examples of Asmat art, the twin colors of white and red are prominently featured. White paint is known as mbi, which is made from mussel shells through a process burning the shells into ash. The red is called wasah and is made from muds which are gathered at riverheads and villages which reside upstream. Platters such as this one are traditionally used by Asmat peoples for eating sago flour balls and Capricorn beetles, two of the most prominent food staples of Papua New Guinea. The sago palm and the sago tree play a prominent role in many Asmat communities and folktales. The red coloration is considered to have magical properties and is a core aspect of an Asmat myth involving Ofomin, a man whose blood ran into the ground and mixed with the water to form red clay and mud. In other circumstances, platters such as this were used to hold human brains. In older age, they are often used to hold and mix paints and pigments. Capricorn beetles are the most ceremonial food staple of Asmat society, and it is commonly believed that their larval resemblance to human brains contributed to its rise in popularity since the banning of headhunting practices by missionaries in the late twentieth century. The beetles are cultivated by drilling holes in felled trees, which allow the creatures to lay eggs which are then harvested. Colors: Red, White, Brown, Black
3	2000.2.22	Platter	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
4	2000.2.4	Platter	This is a wooden Asmat sago platter carved from the wood of a sago tree. It was carved in the latter half of the twentieth century by an Asmat artist in Papua New Guinea. The main body features a symmetrical pattern of a sago tree, which is carved half an inch into the surface of the piece. The fronds of the tree are painted red and the backdrop is painted white. The edges of the platter are unpainted. The bottom surface of the piece was originally painted white, which has now since faded. A cross band of red pigment dissects the bottom surface into four quadrants. The handle at the top of the platter is carved in the likeness of a male figure with his knees bent and elbows resting upon his knees. His hands are connected to his forehead by a curved protrusion. The man’s face features an elongated mouth, sunken eyes, large nose, and protruding brow, all of which were painted red. The figure’s body and limbs feature trenches carved into their length which were painted red. Platter such as these are used by Asmat peoples for the consumption of sago for meals. The designs of the sago tree represent the dependency and reverence of the sago tree among the Asmat. The sago is a core aspect of Asmat culture, as it provides food and building materials in great abundance. In much of Asmat belief, humans and sago trees are interchangeable, dating back to the myth of humanity’s creation at the hands of the Great Woodcarver Fumeripits. The white pigment is called mbi and originates from mussel shells which are burned to ash and mixed with clay. Red wasah pigments are derived from clay and mud deposits located at riverheads and upstream villages. The heavy use of wasah is representative of an Asmat story in which the headless, limbless, featureless man Ofomin was murdered by a man who desired his wife. Ofomin’s blood ran into the ground and mixed with the waters to create red mud and clay. Platters such as this were also used to serve human brains until the banning of headhunting practices by missionaries in the late twentieth century. It is believed that the Capricorn beetle’s larval form resemblance to human brains is what contributed to its rise in popularity as a ceremonial dish as a replacement for human brains themselves. Color: Brown, Red, White
5	2000.2.7	Platter	This is an oval-shaped wooden sago platter of Asmat origin. It was likely carved in the country of Papua New Guinea in the latter half of the twentieth century by an Asmat artist. It is of moderate weight and features a symmetrical sago tree design carved into its curved surface. The body and fronds of the sago tree are cut half an inch into the surface of the piece and are colored white. The backdrop of the trees is painted red, which has since faded to a rusty orange. At the bottom of the platter is a band of triangular carved decoration. At the top of the platter is a large carved male head which serves as the handle. The head features sunken, bulging eyes with an elongated nose, prominent forehead, ears, and smiling mouth with a large tongue. The nose has triangular nostrils carved into it at its base and there is a carved trench along each cheek resembling scars. The bottom of the platter features no decorations but features a band of red paint across the midsection. In many examples of Asmat art, the twin colors of white and red are prominently featured. White paint is known as mbi, which is made from mussel shells through a process burning the shells into ash. The red is called wasah and is made from muds which are gathered at riverheads and villages which reside upstream. Platters such as this one are traditionally used by Asmat peoples for eating sago, one of the most prominent food staples of Papua New Guinea. The sago and the sago tree play a prominent role in many Asmat communities and folktales. The red coloration is considered to have magical properties and is a core aspect of an Asmat myth involving Ofomin, a man whose blood ran into the ground and mixed with the water to form red clay and mud. Capricorn beetles are the most ceremonial food staple in Asmat society, and it is commonly thought that their larval resemblance to human brains contributed to their rise in popularity after missionaries began banning headhunting practices in the late twentieth century.
6	2000.2.85	Carving, ancestor	This is a wooden Asmat ancestral carving which measures 28” in length and 5.5” in height. It depicts two female figures, one standing on the shoulders of the other, who is crouched. The lower figure’s hands are on their bent knees, and their feet are together to form the carving’s base. The upper figure is standing upright holding the head of a hornbill bird in its hands. The beak of the hornbill is open, with the lower beak attached to the upper figure’s chin and the upper beak resting on the upper figure’s forehead. The entire piece is brown but was likely originally painted all in red pigments. The identity of the hornbill is confirmed by the indentations carved into the base of its beak, a characteristic feature of Asmat art. Hornbills are typically associated with images of power and strength as a symbol of headhunting practices amongst the Asmat culture. They accompany praying mantises in this regard. The red pigment is wasah, which is created by mixing red clays found along the riverbanks in upstream communities. Color is often associated with having magic properties, and is very common in many Asmat ethnographic pieces. Carvings of ancestry figures play an extremely important role in Asmat society. They are often carved only for the festival which celebrates the creation of mankind at the hands of the Great Woodcarver Fumeripits, a foundational mythical figure at the heart of much of Asmat culture. Ancestor carvings are made from a single piece of wood taken from the trunk of a sago tree, and are carved in such a way that their base can be jammed into the soft mud to keep them standing upright. Figures such as this are representative of the core belief in Asmat culture that man is interchangeable with tree. After the festival for Fumeripits concludes, carvings are discarded in the rainforest so that the spirits of the dead can aid the sago trees in further growth. Colors: Brown, Red