Male ancestor figure "bioma" ·  Papua New Guinea - Golf, Village Gigori, Wapo River · ID: 3034457

Description

light weighted wood, middle brown patina, white pigment, the flat figure with handle-shaped arms is cut out in silhouette, incised ornamental decor, slightly dam., missing parts (both feet), paint rubbed off, cracks, rep. (left arm and leg);
the “bioma” of the Era presumably were used as skull racks, respectively for attachment of skulls (arms), just like the “agiba” of the Kerewa. On Goaribari Island in 1901, before burning down the great ceremonial houses in retaliation for the killing and eating of a missionary, the punitive expedition counted 700 skulls attached to one “agiba”.

The object Male ancestor figure “bioma” with the object ID 3034457 was last part of the auction 72nd tribal art auction at March 9, 2013 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 21.

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Comparing literature

Welsch, Robert, Coaxing the Spirits to Dance, Hanover, New Hampshire 2006, p. 90