Asmat Box 10
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4
| Catalog # | Name | Description | ||
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| 1 | 2000.2.36 | Carving, ancestor | This is a large wooden Asmat ancestor figure carved in Papua New Guinea in the second half of the twentieth century. It features two human figures standing next to each other, with one significantly smaller than the other. The smaller figure stands with legs joined at the feet and hands clasped together at the midsection. It features no distinctive genitalia carvings and a very wide neck which forms the shoulders. Its face is oblong with a toothed smile, sunken eyes, and hooked nose. The larger figure is standing behind the smaller figure, hunched over its head. This figure features female genitalia carvings at the waist, and is clasping either side of its face with its hands. Its face is very animated with expression. The right eye is elevated higher than the left. It has a prominent hairline, hooked nose, and wide toothed smile. Both figures are joined together at the feet, making them a single art piece. There is little trace of paint left, with bits of white scattered throughout. Otherwise, the piece features a very dark brown complexion. Figures such as this are often produced in Asmat culture for depicting ancestral figures for commemorative or ceremonial purposes. Often, they are made when an individual of a community dies, as a means of representing the ancestors of the deceased. In other instances, they are carved to honor the ancestors during building dedications and festival events. After their intended function has been carried out, carvings are often discarded in the rainforests so that the spirits which inhabit them may rejuvenate the sago trees. Colors: Brown, Black, White |
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| 2 | 2000.2.47 | Carving, ancestor | This is a wooden Asmat ancestor carving produced as a tourist piece in the second half of the twentieth century. It depicts a human male figure with bent knees and arms sitting atop a human face which is incorporated into the beaks of hornbill birds. The body of the figure features carved striations along its limbs and abdomen in a stylistic set of patterns. The figure also features a prominent phallic carving at the waist. The face is carved with very simplistic features typically found in Asmat art. The hands are raised to the sides of the shoulders spayed outwards with four fingers showing. This piece is likely a piece produced for trade with outsiders, as indicated by several uncharacteristic features not commonly found in Asmat ethnographic art. The simplicity of the carved striations, the pose of the figure, and the carved divot in the chest are all signs of tourist production. The lack of paint across the entire body of the piece is not wholly unusual, but may be indicative of its intended use. The piece may have been produced to capitalize in interest in Asmat art during the late 1970s and 1980s, when collector institutions such as museums and private galleries began focusing much attention on acquiring art from indigenous cultures in Indonesia. Colors: Black, Brown |
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| 3 | 2000.2.81 | Carving, ancestor | This is a wooden Asmat ancestor carving which depicts two individuals. It is entirely unpainted and was carved from sago wood with a dark brown finish. The piece depicts two female figures in an embrace, with one significantly taller than the other. The taller figure features prominent breast protrusions at the chest and a very elongated facial structure. The eyes are defined largely by the line of the jutting brow and lengthy nose. The mouth is thin and wide, open in a smiling expression. The arms of the taller figure are attached to the arms of the smaller figure at the latter’s elbows. The smaller figure standing underneath the chin of the larger figure, and is holding onto the upper legs of the larger figure. The smaller figure shares many features with the larger figure with the exception of prominent breast carvings. Both figures are joined at the feet, which form a wedge used for planting the entire piece into soft mud. It is likely that this piece is an ancestral carving of the Asmat artist, possibly depicting a mother and daughter or other female relationship. This may have been produced for either a funerary service or other occurrence of ancestral reverence. Carvings of this kind are typically produced to represent the ancestors of their artists and are placed in the soft mud outside of their homes. Because carvings have a magical element to them in Asmat society, they are often discarded in the rainforest after their purpose has been fulfilled so that they may rejuvenate the energies of the sago trees. Colors: Brown, Black |
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| 4 | 2000.2.93 | Carving, ancestor | This is a wooden Asmat carving depicting two ancestral figures, likely produced in Papua New Guinea in the late twentieth century. The piece is entirely unpainted and maintains a dark brown coloration throughout. There are two figures, both of whom hold heads in their hands. At the bottom of the piece is an upside-down head on which rests the legs of the first figure. The second figure is sitting atop the first figure’s head and is also holding an upside-down head in the hands. The figures are simplistic in design, but feature characteristics which would suggest that they are female. This carving may have been produced for a funerary event in which an individual in a community was honored with rites upon death. Death in Asmat society is always unnatural, the result of either hostile spirits of magical attacks from an enemy tribe. In order to resolve the imbalance caused by deaths in communities, family of the deceased undertake headhunting raids against their enemies. Once the enemies’ heads have been brought back, balance is believed to have been restored. This carving may have been produced during such an event, as indicative of the decapitated heads on display in the figures’ arms. Carvings such as this also depict the spirits of the deceased’s ancestors in order to shield the deceased from attacks by hostile spirits. Once the headhunting has been completed, such carvings are often discarded in the rainforests to rejuvenate the sago trees with their spirits. The practice of headhunting was dominant in many Asmat societies, but was banned by foreign missionaries in the late twentieth century. Colors: Black, Brown |
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