Overmodeled ancestor skull
German Private Collection, Hamburg
Description
human skull, modelling clay “yiba” (red clay, tigasso oil, tree sap, lime), real hair, cowries, remains of abrus seeds at the hairline, remains of curvilinear painting, old label, printed: “Curiositäten Umlauff, Inh.: Gustav Umlauff, Hamburg 3, Johannisbollwerk 10” - handwritten note: “No 2 Übermodellierter Schädel - Unterer Sepik”, the reverse inscribed: “Slg. Seli. (or Sch.) - I.” and numbered “4/253”
The ethnic groups living along the Sepik River in Papua New Guinea practised a unique form of skull worship.
By overmodeling and later painting the ancestor’s skull, the spirit and life force of the deceased shall find its way back to the head and provide helpful support to the present generation in future.
Iatmul overmodeled skulls are amongst the finest of their kind, and the facial features are usually so well rendered that the deceased is instantly recognizable. Individuality is for the Iatmul an important element of ancestor worship. Even the face painting worn by the deceased during ceremonies and celebrations during his lifetime have been reproduced.
The overmodeled skulls were placed on special skull racks in the men’s house - to which women and children have no access. Only at the funerals were they lavishly decorated and carried around in public.
Not only the skulls of family and founding ancestors, even the skulls of enemies were treated in this way. They served as a trophy, as evidence of the art of war and the bravery of their owners.