Minneapolis Institute of Art

Plaque

Abelam artist

Date

mid 20th century

Medium

Wood, pigment

Culture

Abelam

Department

Arts of Oceania

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

During Abelam ceremonies, artists would decorate the inside of the great korumbo , or House of the Spirits, with large painted panels and woodcarvings. The panel on display depicts an ancestral couple engaged in sexual intercourse, represented with characteristically bright colors and rounded forms. Themes of procreation and ancestral origins were commonly depicted in spirit houses. The two hornbills at the top of the panel relate to the spirit world and were commonly associated with ancestor figures. Papua New Guinea, Oceania

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