Middle Sepik Ancestral Figure

Art

Mauna Kea Beach Hotel

Name/Title

Middle Sepik Ancestral Figure

Entry/Object ID

MK_0282

Description

The diverse peoples of the Middle Sepik River are organized into various clans, each tied to specific ancestors and totemic species: these totemic and ancestral beings are represented through wooden figures, designed in the form of potent and formidable ancestral beings known locally as wan or waken. Each figure, belonging to a particular clan, is named after a significant ancestor of that clan, and kept enshrined in men’s ceremonial houses. This particular ancestral figure is carved intricately into a distinctive bird head and a human body with carved male genitalia, scarification marks, and a bird or reptile-like creature between the legs. Though the exact tribe and ancestor it is associated with is unknown to us, this figure nonetheless serves as a tangible connection to the intricate social and spiritual fabric woven by the diverse clans, their ancestors, and the totemic entities that shape their collective identity. This treasured piece has been in the Mauna Kea's collection since 1965, when Laurance Rockefeller developed the hotel, and was recently restored. Guests may have previously seen this peice displayed on the 8th floor of the hotel's main tower, and briefly on the first floor of the hotel's beach wing.

Artwork Details

Medium

Wood

Made/Created

Artist

Artist unknown

Place

Region

Middle Sepik Region

Country

New Guinea

Continent

Oceania

Dimensions

Height

46-3/4 in

Length

13-1/2 in

Main Tower