Leg of a bed "patapat" ·  Papua New Guinea - Bismarck Archipelago - Admirality Islands · ID: 3037956

Description

wood, middle brown patina, tripartite construction: massive base on disc-shaped foot, carved with a janus-half figure, originally crowned by a plug-shaped projection (now missing), which served for mortizing into the framing of the bed, dam., minor missing parts (ears), cracks, abrasion of paint, base;
so-called “patapats” form part of the brides dowry. Feastful adorned sitting on a “patapat” the bride was carried to her future husbands house. The beds played an important role at burial rites as well. The common canoe-prow like decoration reminds of the imagination of “soul-boats” we know from Indonesia.

The object Leg of a bed “patapat” with the object ID 3037956 was last part of the auction 79th Tribal Art Auction at March 21, 2015 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 53.

Here you will find more objects and interesting facts about Oceanian art.

Comparing literature

Ohnemus, Sylvia, Zur Kultur der Admiralitäts-Insulaner in Melanesien, Basel 1996, p. 281 ff.