Exhibition (Maudslay Gallery)
EXH.2018.4 | Pacific Currents
Event Date
Author: Remke Velden

Context (CMS Context)
Decorative motifs: Figure (male): face-painting 3; Collected by: Bateson.G;
Exhibited in 'Paired Brothers: Concealment and Revelation: Iatmul Ritual Art from the Sepik, Papua New Guinea', Andrews Gallery, CUMAA, February 2004-February 2006, with following labels: ' Carved suspension hook in the form of an initiated man, known by the name of Koremapan. The scarification marks suggest it originated from the Sawos who have a comparable moiety system to the Iatmul. Some suspension hooks are important guardian spirits of particular clans. This particular hook is likely to have been used in a men' s house. Collected by Gregory Bateson, 1932, unknown Iatmul village, Sepik. CUMAA 1935.71' . F. Veys, 21/6/2006'
Event Date 29/6/1995
Author: maa

Description (CMS Description)
Full-length male figure. Ovoid head with large protruding ovoid ear ovals, cowrie shell eye inlay (one missing), prominent pierced bulbous nose and raised lips. Thin bast loop round neck. Very marked incised crescents on breasts above nipple knobs, truncated star design round navel, ring and curves on outside of shoulders, scales, crescents, zigzags down figure' s back. Arms hang by sides, hands away from body. Knee, elbow and ankle knobs. Large penis. 2-pronged base with 1 prong broken off, remaining prong has small beaked head carved at its tip. Centre front of base has downward pointing bird carved on it, rest incised with curves and birds' heads designs. Contrasting colours, red, white and black. Figure mainly red. Dracaena leaf pubic apron on figure. Rear of base has maskette carved in centre. Back of figure' s neck has large piercing. Base broken, paint worn. Said to be loot from Tshambuli, but the artistic style and initiatory marks would indicate Tshuosh origin. Original accession notes: " Personal name: KWOREM-AVWAN. A human figure painted with red clay and ochre and naturalistically carved in the round. It stands on a transverse board with an upright spike at either end (one missing). On the nipples, testicles, knee-caps and ankle bones are round protruberances which may be not representational details of human anatomy but of thorns or spikes on the body of the personage (cf.35,62). One half of the back and the right shoulder is deeply incised to represent initiatory keloids. There is also an initiatory carving round the navel. The figure wears a strip of bast round its neck and a pubic apron of shredded Dracaena leaves attached to a rush band round its waist. In the centre of the base a bird (? eagle) is carved in the round. A bird head also decorates the fluke. The pattern of the initiatory keloids on this specimen would indicate that the carving was made in Tshuosh rather than Chambuli, where the scarification is generally simpler and slighter, cf. 1935.62." Fair
Event Date 29/6/1995
Author: maa

Conservation (Remedial)
CON.2017.3981 | Remedial
Event Date 13/11/2017
Author: Kirstie Williams