Context (CMS Context)
Decorative motifs: Figure (female): headtop (curved3); eyes (oval1-cavity); nose (club1); ears (arcs5); mouth (crescent1); chin (curved1); areas (arcs5); neck (short); neck ornament (crescent); bust (breasts1); arms (by sides); hands (simple); belly (domed); body knobs (nipples); body knobs (knees); body marks (breast); genitals (female3); body marks (knee-rings); legs (straight); feet (ankles+block); facepainting 3:1. (For further details on motifs see Lovelace " Bateson Project" , Vol. I). Museum record photograph: F4,24. Basel Museum fur Volkerkunde numerical code: 13.2.8?; Collected by: Bateson.G;
Event Date 29/6/1995
Author: maa

Description (CMS Description)
Bow-legged wooden figure, painted on its front only. Round face with triangular nose, rough pit eyes and raised crescent lips, tiny pierced semioval ear lugs. Black knob nipples and white knob knee cap. Painted mainly red with touches of black and white. White raised pubic area with vulva slit painted in red, narrow belly with white ring round black navel. White crescent pendant/necklace, and white curves from nipples across chest. Black cap on head, black surround to eyes and as a median line on the nose. Red raised mouth with red and white stripes across the remainder of the face. Raised triangular lug on the back of the head with a fibre strand looped through it for hanging up. In this box is a fibre belt (?) probably broken off one of the figures (1935.146 or 1935.147). Original accession notes: " Wooden female figure, coloured red and marked with white patterns. There is a lug behind the head for suspension. It was probably carved for amusement, but is possibly totemic - the one theory does not exclude the other. Totemism is not always a very serious matter." Good
Event Date 29/6/1995
Author: maa