Asmat Box 6 | UNI Museum @ Rod Library

Displaying 1 - 7 of 7

	Catalog #	Name	Description
1	2000.2.106	Carving, ancestor	This is a wooden Asmat ancestor carving which depicts a male and female standing in opposite directions from one another. The entire piece is unpainted and is comprised of dark red wood with prominent grain. Both individuals featured in the piece are pointed in opposite directions, with their legs on each other’s hips. They are joined at the middle of the piece by a jagged rod, which both of them are holding in their hands. Both individuals are facing the same direction. The figure on the top of the piece is male and the bottom is female. Both feature finely carved faces, with prominent brows and noses. There is little definition in the faces. The male figure is carved with a flat-topped hairstyle, whereas the female figure is carved with a curved hairstyle. Ancestral worship plays an important role in Asmat culture and society. The spirits of ancestors are believed to have active participation in the mortal world, and are often called upon through art to grant their powers to mortals. In war, for example, shields are carved with the likeness of ancestors to gain mystical enchantments. Carvings such as this particular piece are often produced for ceremonial or commemorative occasions such as festivals and funerals. Once 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, Red
2	2000.2.16	Carving, ancestor	This is a wooden Asmat ancestral carving made from light brown sago wood. It depicts a human figure standing with a platter in both hands and a cassowary beak between his legs. The entire piece is painted in white mbi and red wasah pigments, with the white used for the body surface and the red used for the accent lines. The base of the figure features the head of a cassowary pointed upwards and situated between the figure’s feet. The beak itself features characteristic circular eyes, notched nose, and elongated beak. The tip of the beak is attached to a platter which is held between the figure’s hands at the hip. The figure himself is simply detailed. The face features a wide mouth painted black with a jutting chin, pointed nose, and prominent brow line. The eyes are painted red and the top of the head is painted in black. Color is believed to have magical properties in popular Asmat belief. White is called mbi and is made from crushing and cremating mussel shells found in riverbeds. Red wasah is created from the mixing of different clays at upstream villages. Both are magical and symbolize ideas such as power, strength, fertility, and mysticism. Ancestor worship is central to Asmat cultural and religious belief. The ancestors are considered to be a part of the living world and play an integral role in the interconnectedness of humans to the natural realm. Honoring the ancestors comes in the form of carvings, made to represent individual ancestor figures for ceremonial purposes. Many carvings are produced for festivals and community building dedications. When a member of society dies, they are produced so that the spirits which embody them may protect the spirit of the deceased. When the function of carvings has been fulfilled, they are often discarded in the rainforests so that their spirits can rejuvenate the sago trees. Colors: Brown, White, Red
3	2000.2.56	Carving, ancestor	This is a wooden Asmat ancestor carving depicting a single male figure atop an abstract geometric structure. The entire piece is covered in a chalky red pigment which easily rubs off to the touch. The pigmentation is most abundant in the upper and lower portions of the piece, as the middle retains little flaking pigment. The figure is depicted standing with bent knees and hands cupped together at the midsection. The figure’s head is large in proportion to its body and is very angular. It features a prominent chin and brow, as well as a wide smiling mouth, sunken eyes, and pointed nose. Across the face and body are shallow carved lines which may indicate stylized musculature. The bottom of the piece consists of an abstract geometric construct which has three points with which to stick the piece in soft mud. Ancestor worship plays an important role in Asmat culture and society, as the spirits of ancestors are believed to take active participation in the mortal world. Carvings are produced in the image of ancestors as a form of reverence and as a means to call upon spiritual powers. The spirits of the deceased are believed to inhabit these carvings, giving them mystical qualities. Carvings such as this are often produced for funerals, ceremonial festivals, and building dedications. Once the primary function of a carving has been fulfilled, it is discarded in the rainforest so that its spirit may rejuvenate the sago trees. Colors: Red, White, Brown.
4	2000.2.58	Carving, ancestor	This is a wooden Asmat ancestor carving which depicts two individuals in an embracing pose. It is covered in a chalky white pigment, with accents painted in red pigments. It features two individuals, one larger than the other. Both figures appear to be male, as indicated by the characteristic genitalia carvings found at the waist. The larger figure is holding the smaller figure at the hips, and the arms of the smaller figure are draped around the neck of the larger figure. The larger figure is resting his chin on the top of the smaller figure’s head, which is turned away to the left. Both figures are carved with simplistic features. They both possess wide mouths, pointing noses, and sunken eyes with no detailing. Each of the accents of the face and muscles are painted in red pigments. Asmat ancestor carvings are typically produced for remembering the deceased in the event of reprisal headhunting raids or for festivals of community remembrance. Each carving depicts individuals from the bloodline of an either living or deceased member of Asmat society. Based on the size and detailing, it is plausible that this piece represents a man and a child, both of whom are presumed to be ancestors of an individual. Colors: White, Red, Brown
5	2000.2.59	Carving, ancestor	This is a lightweight wooden Asmat carving which depicts two ancestor figures standing atop one another. It is painted in varying shades of white, red, and black chalky pigments over its surface. Both figures depicted feature white bodies and red-painted accents, including facial features and muscle lines. The top figure is female, based on characteristic carvings on the chest. The bottom figure is of ambiguous sex. The bottom figure has suffered damage around the face, with much discoloration and chipping of its paint layers. The top figure is standing on top of the head of the bottom one, with a wide base formed out of their feet. The bottom figure is standing upright with arms extended downwards, grasping a featureless rod which reaches down to the carving base. The top figure is standing in a similar position, holding the head of a hornbill in their hands. The bottom figure is thinner than the top figure, particularly around the chest and midsection. Ancestral worship plays a highly important role in Asmat culture, as the spirits of ancestors are believed to inhabit the mortal world. They are often called upon by artists to grant them mystical powers through their carvings, such as in war. Carvings depicted ancestors are produced in order to commemorate them and to serve important functions at events such as building dedications and funeral rites. Once the primary function has been fulfilled, they are often discarded in the rainforests so that the spirits may rejuvenate the sago trees. Colors: White, Red, Black, Brown
6	2000.2.68	Carving, ancestor	This is a wooden Asmat carving which depicts three individuals gathered together in a rough triangle shape. The piece is covered in white and red chalky pigments, with the accents painted in red. The figure at the bottom is in a squatting position, with the figure on the left standing over them. Attached to the sides and top of the bottom figure are three heads of hornbill birds, atop which is the top human figure. It is unclear what sex each of the individuals depicted are due to a lack of distinguishing physical features. Carvings such as this are often produced as a means of ancestor worship, which plays an important role in Asmat culture. The spirits of ancestors are believed to inhabit the mortal world and interact with the physical realm after death. Artists carve depictions of ancestors as a means of balancing unfriendly spirits and calling upon mystical protections from their ancestors. Carvings such as this are often produced for funerary rituals, ceremonial festivals, and building dedications. After their primary function has been carried out, the carvings are often discarded in the rainforests so that their spirits may rejuvenate the sago trees. Colors: White, Red, Brown
7	2000.2.88	Carving, ancestor	This is a rectangular Asmat carving which depicts five individuals contorted in various positions to form a rectangular frame. The entire piece is unpainted and carved from a single piece of dark wood, some of which has lightened due to exposure. Each of the five figures are female and share similar descriptive features, with the only variation being height. At the bottom right of the piece, a small figure stands upright with hands extended outwards and connecting to the knees of a taller figure. The figure in the bottom left is significantly taller than the figure in the bottom right and has their arms extended outwards with hands grasping onto the lower legs of another figure. The figure in the middle right of the piece is the same height as the figure in the bottom left and is standing on top of the smallest figure’s head. They have their arms bent outwards and grasping the double head of a hornbill bird. Standing on the shoulders of this figure is the figure in the upper right. They have their arms bent downwards, with their hands cradling the upside-down head of the final figure. The top of their head forms the top frame of the piece. The upper left figure is inverted from the others and is shown in a seated position. They have their arms bent outwards with their hands connecting to the shoulders of the figure across from them. Their legs connect with the head of the upper right figure to form the top frame. Although unclear, this piece may represent ancestral figures in abstract form. Ancestral worship is highly important in Asmat culture, as the spirits of ancestors are believed to actively participate in the mortal world. Carvings such as this are often produced to commemorate ancestors or to call upon their mystic powers in situations such as funeral rites. After the primary function of carvings has been fulfilled, they are often discarded in the rainforests so the ancestor spirits may rejuvenate the sago trees. Colors: Brown