Abelam. <em>Ancestral Figure (Ngwalndu)</em>, 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)

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)

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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.

Ancestral Figure (Ngwalndu)

Arts of the Pacific Islands

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.

CULTURE Abelam

MEDIUM Wood, pigment

Place Made: Maprik area, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea

DATES 20th century

DIMENSIONS 146 x 14 x 14 in. (370.8 x 35.6 x 35.6 cm) (show scale)

COLLECTIONS Arts of the Pacific Islands

ACCESSION NUMBER 81.164.2

CREDIT LINE Gift of Mrs. Melville W. Hall

CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION Ceremonial house ("tambaran") figure is monumental in scale. At the top there is a male figure with two hornbill heads on top of the figure's head. All of the figure's anatomical details are clearly indicated. At his feet there is a small four-legged animal. Pigment traces. Condition: Fairly extensive surface erosion from top to bottom. Below the small animal there appears to have been another form that has been broken off. Checking throughout, particularly on left side of figure in head and abdomen region. Mounted on a black metal modern stand.

EXHIBITIONS

In Pursuit of the Spiritual: Oceanic Art Given by Mr. and Mrs. John A. Friede and Mrs. Melville W. Hall

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view

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)

IMAGE installation, 81.164.2_installation_bw.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph

"CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.

RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY

You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.

RECORD COMPLETENESS

Not every record you will find here is complete. More information is available for some works than for others, and some entries have been updated more recently. Records are frequently reviewed and revised, and we welcome any additional information you might have.

Download our app and ask your own questions during your visit. Here are some that others have asked.

Is it old or new?

That piece is actually from the 20th century, so not too old.

What is this?