Male Ancestor Figure
name: label: Discipline
content: Anthropology
label: Region
content: Asia & Middle East Region
notes: label: Description
content: This object is part of the Education and Outreach collection, some of which are in the Q?rius science education center and available to see.
label: Notes
content: This carved wooden figure depicts a standing man with an elongated body and prominent brows and genitals. It was created by the Asmat carver Ambus in the village of Yow, Irian Jaya. The Asmat people produce these kinds of carvings as a way to honor their ancestors and the presence of white pigment. The positioning of the figure's hands next to his genitals identify him as a boy undergoing initiation. The light wood is a tan color but several heavily carved areas are darker. The figure is coated in a white pigment with some features such as cheeks, shoulders, hairline, etc. defined in red pigment while hair is indicated with black pigment. The figure holds in front of him a small, carved canoe.
label: Number of objects in this record
content: 1
label: Record Last Modified
content: 27 Dec 2023
place: label: Collecting Locality
content: Western New Guinea, Asia, Indonesia, Irian Jaya
topic: label: Topic
content: Education & Outreach
culture: label: Culture
content: Asmat
setName: label: See more items in
content: Q?rius, The Coralyn W. Whitney Science Education Center
identifier: label: USNM Number
content: EO400493-DSP
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Education and Outreach collections
physicalDescription: label: Material
content: Wood, Paint, Pigment