Figure ancestrale masculine "kawe" · Nouvelle-Guinée occidentale / Papouasie occidentale (Irian Jaya), Asmat · ID: 3053131
Jan Visser, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Description
wood, pigments, plant fibres, base
This ancestral figure from the central Asmat region holds its penis with both hands - a rare but significant representation in Asmat sculpture. Usually, “kawe” figures hold a human skull or, alternatively, a nautilus shell, symbols of death, initiation and ancestral presence.
The hand position chosen here refers directly to masculinity, procreative power and fertility and is closely related to initiation rites and the transmission of life force. In connection with the function of the “kawe” as the embodiment of the deceased and as a link between the living, the ancestors and the land, this motif emphasises the cyclical connection between death, renewal and nourishment.
The ritual practice of leaving the figures in the sago plantations after ceremonies, where they rotted and transferred their spiritual power to the plants, reinforces this interpretation of fertility and regeneration.
L’objet Figure ancestrale masculine “kawe” numéro d’objet 3053131, a fait partie de la dernière Vente aux enchères 106 du 25 avril 2026 le Zemanek-Münster Hôtel des ventes. L’objet portant le numéro de lot 148 a atteint un prix de vente de 3 500 €.
Vous trouverez d’autres Figures et autres types d’objets populaires sur nos pages thématiques associées. Notre page sur le thème Art océanien pourrait également vous intéresser.
Publications
Dehaene, Frédéric (ed.), Asmat Art, The van der Hoeven Collection, Brussels 2009, ill. 9 & cover