Spirit Figure (Noukwi)
ClassificationsSculpture
Culture
Kwoma
Datemid 20th Century
Collection SiteEast Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea
Made AtEast Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea
MediumWood and pigment
Dimensions55 × 9 1/2 × 7 in. (139.7 × 24.1 × 17.8 cm)
Credit LineAnonymous Gift
Object number2017.10.97
DescriptionThis large wooden standing female figure, vernacularly referred to as Noukwi, was collected from the Washkuk Hills in the Middle Sepik River region of the East Sepik Province in Papua New Guinea. The Kwoma are known for their unique artistic practice centered on the annual sequence of ceremonies devoted to the cultivation of yams. According to the Kwoma, the yam is a mystical food and should not be eaten until the spirits responsible for the yam's enormous growth have been properly honored. Following the harvesting of the large root vegetable, the spirits are presented with an arrangement of three ceremonies: known as yena, mindja, and noukwi. Each ceremony requires the creation of a specific type of figure. In the final ceremony, restricted only to senior initiated men and involves the display of female figures—such as the one seen here.On View
Not on view
