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Yipwon figure



Dublin Core

Title

Yipwon figure

Culture

Yimam people

Place Made

Alamblak, Karawari River, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea

Description

Yipwon figures represent war and hunting spirits. The larger ones, owned by clans, are kept in men's ceremonial houses. Smaller versions, patron spirits of individual men, are carried in net bags along with other personal property. The hook above the head is a bird's beak. The other hooks are the spirit's ribs. The extension between them in the middle is the heart.

Century

19th c. or earlier

Item Dimensions

246.4 cm h x 20.5 cm d x 8.5 cm w

Medium

sculpture

Materials

wood

Techniques

carving

Provenance

Gift of Mr. & Mrs. Morton D. May, 1967

Acession Number

1971.165

Accession Year

1971

Photo Number

20130046