Whose Voice Section 2
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9
| Catalog # | Name | Description | ||
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| 1 | 1995.37.29 | Phallocrypt | Made from gourds which are lined with fur and attached to the body by woven waist straps. Description of origin is written near the bottom in small print. Color: TN,YL,BR |
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| 2 | 1995.37.30 | Phallocrypt | Made from gourd lined with fur and attached to the body by woven waist straps. yellow waist strap measures 25 1/2". Description written near bottom. Color: TN,YL,BR |
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| 3 | 2000.2.102 | Dagger | This is an Asmat dagger carved from bone, produced in Papua New Guinea in the second half of the twentieth century. It features a single slender body carved from a cassowary thigh bone, with serrated edges carved in the fashion of teeth. The handle is made up of the same material as the blade, and is covered with a twine wrapping. Attached to the end of the handle are two cords which have large feathery tassels attached to the ends of them. The cords themselves are made up of beads and plant stalks. Daggers are highly prized weapons and tools for many Asmat communities. They are traditionally made from the bones of either humans or birds, and serve both decorative and practical purposes. Daggers such as this are incredibly strong and resilient due to their composition. The use of bone in weaponry has decreased among many Asmat communities due to the introduction of refined metals by colonial powers in the late twentieth century. Bird bone daggers still retain a high standing in the culture, however, and are used for ceremonial and practical applications. Colors: Brown, Black, White |
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| 4 | 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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| 5 | 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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| 6 | 2000.2.78 | Carving, ancestor | Five human figures joined at feet and rears, one with hands.. Piece = remnant white. Carved designs on bodies cheeks (scarification?) and remnant red. Hair and eyebrows black. Figures encircled by rectangular-shaped outline, part of rectangles is made up of hornbill(?) figure. Color: BR,RD,WH,BK |
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| 7 | 2000.2.94 | Carving, ancestor | This is a small wooden Asmat plaque shield created in Papua New Guinea in the second half of the twentieth century. It features a wide rectangular body with a decorative headpiece in the form of several human limbs emanating outwards from a stylized centerpiece. The main body is carved in geometric patterns, likely to represent ancestral spirits. The piece contains the remnants of paint layers, with signs of red and black appearing throughout. The dark complexion of the piece indicates that it may have been stored above a fireplace, where the smoke darkened the wood. The top of the piece consists of four limbs, each arrayed in a symmetrical fashion. The two top limbs are grasping a bar of wood which forms the frame of the piece. At the center is an ornamental centerpiece carved with undefined geometric patterns. Pieces such as this likely form a ceremonial role in Asmat society. Like shields, they are carved to depict important cultural elements such as ancestral worship, spirituality, integration with nature, and the value of communal art. The lack of handle or other protrusions on this piece indicates that it was produced for a commemorative purpose as a plaque or decoration for a ritual. Colors: Brown, Black, Red |
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| 8 | 2000.2.96 | Bow, arrows | a-h. a) plain wooden bow strung with bark fiber string. b-h) seven arrows of various lengths. Arrows f and d each have e e/r" of shallow barb edges carved into tip. Tip of c either dull or broken. Arrows have 1/2" - 1" sections of wound string at various distances on each. Color: BR |
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| 9 | 2000.2.99 | Dagger | This is an Asmat dagger carved from a single piece of cassowary bird thigh bone. It was produced by Asmat artisans in Papua New Guinea in the late twentieth century and maintains much of its original features. The piece features a single slender blade without serrated edges. At the end of the blade is a jagged tooth-like carving intended to pierce in a stabbing motion. At the opposite end of the dagger is a pommel wrapped in finely woven twine. Attached to the pommel are eight cords made of beads and plant stalks, at the ends of which are attached large feathery tassels. Daggers are highly prized in Asmat culture and are often produced from either human or bird bone. They are known for their great strength and elegant craftsmanship, and serve both practical and ceremonial purposes. Although the use of daggers such as this has decreased in recent decades, they still have a special place in Asmat culture due to their ethnographic history. The use of bone in the construction of daggers has also decreased due to the introduction of refined metals by colonial powers in the late twentieth century, although bone daggers are still sometimes created for ceremonial occasions. Colors: Brown, Black, White |
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