Ancestral Figure (Ngwalndu)
1 of 2
Object Label
These three Abelam works are all associated with the korumbo, a large ceremonial house for spirits. Every few years, Abelam men carve representations of ancestral figures in conjunction with the initiation ceremonies of young men. The figures represent the benevolent spirits, or ngwalndu, of individual clans and are considered responsible for clan prosperity. The figures are carved in the forest and brought into the korumbo, where they are covered with mud and painted.
Caption
Abelam. Ancestral Figure (Ngwalndu), 20th century. Wood, pigment, 146 x 14 x 14 in. (370.8 x 35.6 x 35.6 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mrs. Melville W. Hall , 81.164.2. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 81.164.2_installation_bw.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Culture
Title
Ancestral Figure (Ngwalndu)
Date
20th century
Geography
Place made: Maprik area, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea
Medium
Wood, pigment
Classification
Dimensions
146 x 14 x 14 in. (370.8 x 35.6 x 35.6 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Melville W. Hall
Accession Number
81.164.2
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
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Frequent Art Questions
Is it old or new?
That piece is actually from the 20th century, so not too old.It looks like these two works could have been made by the same people but they come from very distant places (Papua New Guinea on the LHS, Mali on the RHS). Are they connected? Is there a common history between these two places?
While they have visual similarities - narrow, vertically thrusting, and both made of wood indigenous to their respective topographies, the two groups do not have a common history beyond the Western history of "primitive art," which used to lump Africa and the Pacific together.The object on the left from the Abelum culture in Papua New Guinea represents ngwalndu, benevolent spirits of individual clans who are considered responsible for clan prosperity. The figure on the right is from the Tellem or Dogon culture; it is a human form with its hands raised, which is said to refer to prayers for rain which would be crucial to the dry area of Mali that this object comes from. A figure with raised arms is one of the most common types of Dogon sculpture.What is this?
This is a ceremonial house figure and it has so many different animals and figures depicted on it. Organic materials help imbue this object with a special presence. After being carved in the woods, the figure would be coated in mud and painted.
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