Asmat Box 2 | UNI Museum @ Rod Library

Displaying 1 - 9 of 9

	Catalog #	Name	Description
1	2000.2.10	Platter	This is a ceremonial wooden Asmat sago platter produced in Papua New Guinea in the late twentieth century. It features a large oval platter capped with a handle decorated in the image of a human head. The piece is painted in variations of red, white, and black pigments, with many portions retaining only fragments of the original paint. In the center of the plate are two stylized heads, both of which point away from the handle. The head itself bears simplistic characteristics with red painted eyes, mouth, and ears. The head is painted in black and the base of the face in white. Color in Asmat society is very important and is often associated with mysticism and magic. White is called mbi and is produced by the crushing and burning of mussel shells found in the river. Red paint is called wasah and is made from mixing different river clays, while black is produced as a byproduct of ash and charcoal. Different combinations of colors denote different ideas such as strength, fertility, and mystic power. Platters such as this were typically produced for both the everyday consumption of roasted sago palm and Capricorn beetles in the community house, called the jeu. In ceremonial instances, however, they would also often be used to consume the brains of enemies killed in headhunting raids. The brains were collected in order to avenge a death in a particular community and were widely believed to give the consumer the deceased’s power. The practice was banned by foreign missionaries in the late twentieth century, at which point Capricorn beetles took the place of human brains as the ceremonial meal. The head designs on this particular piece may point to its use in headhunting rituals at some point in time. Colors: Red, White, Black, Brown
2	2000.2.11	Platter	This is an oblong wooden Asmat sago platter used for serving roasted balls of sago during meals and ceremonial occasions. It was likely carved in Papua New Guinea in the latter half of the twentieth century and features an intricate geometric design on its curved surface. The design is painted in red and white, although only fragments of the white pigments remain intact. The rest of the piece is unpainted except for potions around the handle. The handle is carved in the likeness of a face, with a large nose, protruding brow, sunken eyes, wide mouth, and a horizontal curved cut along each cheek. Sago dishes such as this were an important part of everyday life in Asmat culture, as they were used to eat the sago food during meals. Sago was taken from the sago tree, which itself is a core part of Asmat spiritual belief and practical economy. Platters such as this are designed to respect the role that the sago plays and the handle is carved in the likeness of a human to emphasize the interconnectedness of humans with ideas such as fertility and life. Platters such as this were also used to serve human brains collected in headhunting practices. This was replaced by the consumption of ceremonial Capricorn beetles when missionaries began banning the headhunting practice in the late twentieth century. White pigments are called mbi, and are made by crushing and mixing the ashes of mussel shells taken from the riverbanks. Red pigments are called wasah and are made through a mixture of red clay and muds taken from rivers and riverhead villages. Color has a magical quality in much of Asmat thought. The myth of the featureless man Ofomin relates this, as it is held that it was his blood that created the red clay after he was murdered by his wife and her jealous lover. Colors: Brown, Red, White
3	2000.2.12	Platter	This is an oblong wooden Asmat platter which features a very intricate geometric design on its surface. It was likely carved in Papua New Guinea in the latter half of the twentieth century. The main body is carved in a symmetrical geometric pattern which features prominent red and white pigments. The handle of the piece is carved in the likeness of a male head. The nose of the figure is missing, but the other features remain. The head has a large mouth, sunken eyes, protruding brow, and a horizontal trench along each cheek. Much of the piece is painted red, but there are areas around the handle and underside which have faded. Pieces such as this are produced by the Asmat peoples for practical and ceremonial eating purposes. Traditionally, platters are used to serve roasted balls of sago during meals, which is a staple of Asmat cuisine. On ceremonial occasions, some platters and bowls would also be used to consume the brains of headhunted enemies as a rite of passage. Headhunting in Asmat culture is most prominently associated with notions of fertility and vitality and was commonplace for much of the civilization’s history. After the practice of headhunting was banned by missionaries in the late twentieth century, the consumption of the Capricorn beetle -whose larval form greatly resembles human brains- supplanted the consumption of brains themselves. The canoe shape of pieces such as this represents the connection that Asmat peoples have with the rivers and with their canoes. Canoes are the primary mode of transportation throughout the rainforest, and are an essential part of life in many communities. Platters and bowls are often carved so that they blend the forms of men and canoes, symbolizing the connections they have with life and fertility. Red pigments in Asmat society are called wasah, and are created by mixing the clays found near river beds at upstream communities. Pigments such as this are believed to have magical properties and indicate senses of power and mysticism. Colors: Red, Black, Brown
4	2000.2.14	Platter	This is an oblong wooden sago dish of the Asmat peoples of Papua New Guinea. The curved surface of the piece features a complex geometric design of white swirls set against a red background. This distinguishes it from other similar pieces, as swirls are often painted in red. At either end of the piece are bands of triangular indentations resembling teeth. The handle of the piece is carved in the image of a man’s face, with a large nose, receding brow, sunken eyes, and small mouth. On each cheek is a horizontal scar which is painted red. At the top of the face is a carved portion painted black, which can be interpreted as hair or a headpiece. Much of the paint around the face has since faded, leaving only remnants of the red pigment. There are long cracks along the left side of the piece, running 5”. Sago dishes such as this were an important part of everyday life in Asmat culture, as they were used to eat the sago food during meals. Sago was taken from the sago tree, which itself is a core part of Asmat spiritual belief and practical economy. Platters such as this are designed to respect the role that the sago plays and the handle is carved in the likeness of a human to emphasize the interconnectedness of humans with ideas such as fertility and life. Platters such as this were also used in the consumption of human brains which were the results of headhunting rituals. This was replaced in the late twentieth century by consumption of the Capricorn beetle, whose larvae strongly resemble human brains. It is believed this was a change initiated when missionaries began banning the practice of headhunting in the region. White pigments are called mbi, and are made by crushing and mixing the ashes of mussel shells taken from the riverbanks. Red pigments are called wasah and are made through a mixture of red clay and muds taken from rivers and riverhead villages. Color has a magical quality in much of Asmat thought. The myth of the featureless man Ofomin relates this, as it is held that it was his blood that created the red clay after he was murdered by his wife and her jealous lover. Colors: White, Red, Black, Brown
5	2000.2.15	Platter	This is a wooden sago platter carved by the Asmat cultural group of Papua New Guinea during the late twentieth century. It features an oblong decorated platter capped with a handle decorated in the image of a human head. The main body is carved with symmetrical geometric designs commonly found in Asmat art of this type, with inset portions painted in variations of red, white, and black pigments. The upper and lower portions of the piece have suffered an erosion of their original white paint, leaving a layer of patina buildup present. The handle itself is decorated with a protruding chin, shallow eyes, and wide mouth. The eyes and mouth are painted in red, while the face structure is painted in a worn white. The chin and top of the head are painted black, and the nose remains unpainted. The head features a close-cropped hairstyle and detailed ears. Colors in Asmat culture are widely considered to have magical properties associated with them. White is called mbi and is created from the crushing and burning of river mussel shells. Red pigments are called wasah and are created from the mixing of clays from riverbeds, forming a deep rust color. Different combinations of color denote different ideas within Asmat society such as strength, fertility, and mysticism. Sago platters form a staple of Asmat ethnographic art and are important in understanding Asmat cultural history. Prior to the intervention of outside missionaries in the late twentieth century, platters would commonly have been used in the ritual of headhunting. In headhunting rituals, slain enemy brains would be served at ceremonial occasions within the community house, the jeu. After this practice had been phased out, Capricorn beetles and roasted sago palm supplanted the function of platters such as this. Many are often also repurposed later in their lives as paint mixture basins, evident by the large amounts of white mbi residue on the hollowed surfaces. Colors: White, Red, Black, Brown
6	2000.2.21	Platter	This is an oval-shaped wooden Asmat bowl carved in the manner of a miniature canoe. It was likely carved in Papua New Guinea in the latter half of the twentieth century and features a pointed tip on one end and the carved head of a handle on the other. The entire piece is painted red, with exceptions for the sago leaf design on the curved surface. The handle/head is carved with a jutting forehead, prominent nose, sunken eyes, and wide smiling mouth. There is a horizontal groove on each cheek and two small ears. The cranium appears to have once been painted black, which has since faded with time. The underside of the piece shows remnants of white paint and is very roughly carved. The face features a long vertical crack running from the upper lip to the peak of the cranium. Pieces such as this are produced by the Asmat peoples for practical and ceremonial eating purposes. Traditionally, platters are used to serve roasted balls of sago during meals, which is a staple of Asmat cuisine. On ceremonial occasions, some platters and bowls would also be used to consume the brains of headhunted enemies as a rite of passage. Headhunting in Asmat culture is most prominently associated with notions of fertility and vitality and was commonplace for much of the civilization’s history. The canoe shape of pieces such as this represents the connection that Asmat peoples have with the rivers and with their canoes. Canoes are the primary mode of transportation throughout the rainforest, and are an essential part of life in many communities. Platters and bowls are often carved so that they blend the forms of men and canoes, symbolizing the connections they have with life and fertility. Colors: Black, Red
7	2000.2.5	Platter	This is a wooden Asmat sago platter carved from the wood of a sago tree in Papua New Guinea. It features a symmetrical pattern of a sago tree on its front curved surface. The design is carved half an inch into the piece. The fronds are painted red and the backdrop is painted white. The sides of the piece are carved in an elaborate swirling pattern, the grooves of which are painted white. These swirls run around the entire band of the piece’s exterior surface. The handle of the platter is carved in the shape of a male face. It features an elongated nose, wide mouth, sunken eyes, and prominent brow. Across the cheeks are each two trenches resembling scars or facepaint. The head was likely originally painted all white, but the pigments have since faded. The bottom surface of the platter is very roughly carved. It features no smooth surface area and is completely unpainted. The pattern of the sago tree represents the value which Asmat peoples place on the sago tree, both for food and for building materials. The sago features prominently in many Asmat myths, including how the Great Woodcarver Fumeripits created humanity out of the wood of sago trees. Pieces such as this were used for serving and eating sago at meals, in addition to human brains and Capricorn beetles. When missionaries began banning the practice of headhunting in the late twentieth century, many Asmat societies saw an increase in popularity of the Capricorn beetle as a ceremonial food. It is commonly thought that this is due in part to the resemblance of the beetle’s larval form to human brains. The white pigments used in painting this piece and others like it is called mbi, and is created through a process in which mussel shells are burnt into ash and mixed with clay. The red pigment is known as wasah, which is made out of red clay and mud found upstream and at riverheads. The red coloration is associated with the myth of Ofomin, a featureless man who resembled the trunk of a sago tree. Ofomin was murdered by his wife and the man who desired her; his blood ran into the ground and mixed with the water to form red clay. Colors: Red, White, Brown
8	2000.2.6	Platter	This is a wooden Asmat sago platter carved in Papua New Guinea in the latter half of the twentieth century. The main body is in the shape of an oval and is capped by a handle which is carved in the image of a male figure’s head. The body is carved with the pattern of a sago tree’s branches, which are painted red. The outlines of the leaves are painted in black and the backdrop is painted in white. At either ends of the piece is a section which has been decorated with 15 vertical grooves which are painted red. These grooves extend 1” from the bottom of the piece. The underside of the platter was once painted in white, but has since faded with time. The handle/head features a large nose, protruding forehead, sunken eyes, and large cranium. The top of the cranium is painted black with a band of red circling it. The eyebrows are painted black and the pits of the eyes are red. The chin is black and the mouth is red. Each cheek has two curved cuts, each painted red. The bridge of the nose is hollow. The sago pattern of the platter is representative of the sago tree, which serves many key functions in Asmat culture and society. Sago trees provide building materials and food and are the primary source of sustenance. Platters like these are carved out of sago wood and used to serve roasted sago flour balls, human brains, and Capricorn beetles at meals. Capricorn beetles replaced the consumption of human brains after missionaries banned headhunting practices in the late twentieth century, commonly thought due to the resemblance of the larval beetles to brains themselves. Today, they form a ceremonial portion of Asmat diet. White pigments used in this piece are called mbi, and are made from a process involving the crushing and burning of mussel shells with wood. The reds are called wasah, and are created from a mixture of red clay and muds from riverbeds. Colors have a magical quality about them in Asmat beliefs. Red, in particular, is connected to a popular myth of a featureless man named Ofomin who was murdered by his wife and her lover. As Ofomin lay dying, his blood ran into the ground and mixed with the water, making red clay. Colors: Red, Brown, White
9	2000.2.73	Carving	This is a wooden Asmat carving which portrays an abstracted form of a male character with his knees bent and his arms stretched upwards towards his head. The piece measures 32” in length and 7” in width. At the bottom is a thin wedge which would have been used to anchor this piece in the soft mud of an Asmat village. Above this wedge are two ouroboros symbols, one on top of the other. Atop these symbols is the image of a man in a seated position. His legs are bent outwards and his elbows rest upon his knees. He features a long neck and a head which is attached to the hands via the thumbs. Along the body are a number of carvings which are painted red in geometric patterns. Carvings such as this typically depicted an ancestor figure or someone important to the community who had since passed away. These carvings would be produced for the festival of the Great Woodcarver Fumeripits as a celebration of the Asmat creation myth in which Fumeripits carved humanity out of sago trunks. After the festival, carvings would be deposited in the rainforests as a means of rejuvenating the sago trees with the spirits of ancestors. The role of ancestral carvings in Asmat society cannot be overstated. Pieces such as this illustrate the spiritual connection between the people, the spirits, and the land. Colors: Brown, Red, White