Stopper for a Lime Container in the Form of a Bird
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Object Label
Long, transverse bamboo flutes are used throughout the Sepik region. They are usually played in pairs by men and are used in a ritual context reserved for fully initiated men. The most important rituals are accompanied by flute melodies that represent the voices of mythical birds and, through them, certain incarnations of ancestors. The flutes are decorated on the upper ends with carved stoppers, which in turn are further decorated with brightly colored leaves and feathers.
Caption
Iatmul. Stopper for a Lime Container in the Form of a Bird, 19th century. Wood, clay, pigment, fiber, shell, 14 1/2 x 2 3/4 x 1 1/8 in. (36.8 x 7 x 2.9 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Alastair B. Martin, the Guennol Collection, 51.197.1. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 51.197.1.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Culture
Title
Stopper for a Lime Container in the Form of a Bird
Date
19th century
Geography
Place made: East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea
Medium
Wood, clay, pigment, fiber, shell
Classification
Dimensions
14 1/2 x 2 3/4 x 1 1/8 in. (36.8 x 7 x 2.9 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Alastair B. Martin, the Guennol Collection
Accession Number
51.197.1
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
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