Bowl

ClassificationsFurnishings-Serviceware-bowls

Culture Lumi

Datelate 19th to early 20th Century

Made AtSandaun Province, Papua New Guinea

MediumWood and paint

Dimensions9 7/8 × 13 3/8 × 10 3/4 in. (25.1 × 34 × 27.3 cm)

Credit LineAnonymous Gift

Object number2003.43.177

DescriptionThis wooden bowl comes from the Lumi people residing in Papua New Guinea's Sandaun Province and it dates to the late 19th or early 20th century. It was made for day-to-day rather than ceremonial use, and was primarily used to prepare daily meals for a typical family.

Feasts are the premiere social gatherings in New Guinea. These village-wide or multi-village events can mark the end of a battle, the passing of an elder, or the celebration of a marriage. The day of the feast the host provides as many pigs as he can afford to ensure his social status for years to come. The pigs are ritually killed and then roasted in a rock pit for hours. Eventually they are served along with other Oceanic staples like taro and sago. As the gathered crowd awaits the food, elaborate dances are performed to further demonstrate the organizer’s wealth and power.

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