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Monkey-Man Figure, mid 20th Century
Palau, Micronesia
Wood and shell; 9 × 5 1/8 × 4 3/4 in.
…
Monkey-Man Figure
Monkey-Man Figure, mid 20th Century
Palau, Micronesia
Wood and shell; 9 × 5 1/8 × 4 3/4 in.
…
Monkey-Man Figure, mid 20th Century Palau, Micronesia Wood and shell; 9 × 5 1/8 × 4 3/4 in. 2019.17.26 Gift of Frieda O. Wray from the Estate of Dr. & Mrs. Douglas and Carolyn Osborne

Monkey-Man Figure

ClassificationsSculpture
Datemid 20th Century
Made AtPalau
MediumWood and shell
Dimensions9 × 5 1/8 × 4 3/4 in. (22.9 × 13 × 12.1 cm)
Credit LineGift of Frieda O. Wray from the Estate of Dr. & Mrs. Douglas and Carolyn Osborne
Object number2019.17.26
DescriptionThis is a Palauan monkey-man figure collected from the island country of Palau and dates back to the 20th century. According to researchers, earlier examples of these types of wooden statues were first produced on Tobi Island in the western Caroline Islands. Trade networks allowed for other similar squatting figures to appear in other areas of Oceania. Monkey-men figures were originally carved as tokens for the deceased and used as house or ancestral shrines for the spirit of the dead. Although similar statues of this design are no longer significant as ancestral shrines, they have gained monetary value to carvers as items of barter.
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