Figure ancestrale "kawe" ·  Westneuguinea / Westpapua (Irian Jaya), Asmat · ID: 3051851

Description

wood, lime, red ochre, rest.

Carved images were central to ceremonial life and usually represented recently deceased individuals. The figures served both to commemorate the dead and remind the community that their deaths must be avenged. While the figures depict specific individuals and bear their names, they employ a standardized iconography and are not intended as portraits.