Bowl "jifoi" · Westneuguinea / Westpapua (Irian Jaya), Asmat · ID: 3035684
Cenderawashi Museum Jayapura, West Papua (1985)
Description
light wood, remains of white and orange pigment, bowl corpus with characteristic decor on the outside (“bipane” motif), contours in raised struts, a big male figure on one end of the bowl, slightly dam. (mouth), minor missing parts (bowl tip, right foot), rest. (nose tip);
as the bowl is in the shape of a small canoe, this “jifoi” probably was used as paint cup. When not in use, bowls were placed upside down on a rack above the owners sleeping place, so that the depicted ancestor remained in contact with him.
The object Bowl “jifoi” with the object ID 3035684 was part of the auction 75th tribal art auction on November 30, 2013, lot number 26 at that time and is currently available for EUR 2,000 in Open sale.
Here you will find more objects and interesting facts about Oceanian art.
Comparing literature
Dehaene, Frederic (ed.), Asmat Art, The van der Hoeven Collection, Brussels o.J.