Over-Modeled Skull
ClassificationsSculpture
Culture
Iatmul
Date20th Century
Made AtEast Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea
MediumHuman skull, clay, pigment, shell, human hair, horn, seed and metal
Dimensions5 5/16 × 7 1/2 × 8 3/4 in. (13.5 × 19.1 × 22.2 cm)
Credit LineGift of Mr. Juri Ripinsky
Object number81.94.3
DescriptionThis over-modeled skull comes from the Iatmul people residing in Kaminibit Village, located in the middle Sepik River basin of Papua New Guinea. Over-modeled skulls played a function in the remembering of ancestors and preservation of a clan's origin. The skulls of the founding members of a clan were kept and displayed alongside other ancestors of the family. In the Iatmul culture, white designs painted on the skulls indicated the ancestor was male, and black designs signaled the ancestor as female. The Iatmul were well regarded for their skill in rendering easily recognizable images of the deceased individual.On View
On viewCollections
20th Century
20th Century
18th to 19th Century
19th Century
17th to 19th Century
