Hea sculpture "yena" ·  Papua New Guinea - Washkuk · ID: 3032946

Description

wood, remains of painting with red, brown and yellowed white pigment, stylized human head placed at the top of a long spike, slightly dam., paint extremely chipped off, cracks, on base;
the “yena-ma” festival is the first of the three great ceremonies related to ensuring the abundance and quality of the yam crop. The “yena” represents a spirit or “sikilowas”, which can also be understood as a man’s soul. Man, “yena” and yam are closely bound up in a spiritual and physical relationship: man plants the yam, which feeds the man, who becomes a spirit, which then ensures that the yam grows well and in abundance.

The object Hea sculpture “yena” with the object ID 3032946 was last part of the auction 69th tribal art auction at June 2, 2012 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 35.

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Comparing literature

Meyer, Anthony J.P., Ozeanische Kunst, Vol. I, Köln 1995, p. 269