Bowl (Kamana)
ClassificationsFurnishings-Serviceware-bowls
Culture
Sawos
Date20th Century
Made AtEast Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea
MediumCeramic and pigment
Dimensions10 5/8 × 10 1/2 × 3 1/4 in. (27 × 26.7 × 8.3 cm)
Credit LineGift of Dr. and Mrs. David and Karina Rilling
Object number2004.6.50
DescriptionCeremonial food bowls are used at times during which community people gather to honor the passing of an elder or celebrate an auspicious moment in the village with food and even dance. The size and design of the bowl indicates status and wealth of the owner. During funerals, the bowls would often be filled with food as an offering for the deceased person to partake in before their journey into the afterlife. This particular type of bowl would have been used with sago soup.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.
On View
On viewCollections
early 20th Century
20th Century
19th Century
mid 20th Century
late 19th to early 20th Century
late 19th to early 20th Century
mid 20th Century
early to mid 20th Century