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Possibly Abelam. <em>Ancestral Figure (Ngwalndu)</em>, 20th century. Wood, pigment, 83 1/2 x 15 1/2 x 8 1/4 in. (212.1 x 39.4 x 21 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Marcia and John Friede and Mrs. Melville W. Hall, 86.229.10. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 86.229.10_front_bw.jpg)
Possibly Abelam. Ancestral Figure (Ngwalndu), 20th century. Wood, pigment, 83 1/2 x 15 1/2 x 8 1/4 in. (212.1 x 39.4 x 21 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Marcia and John Friede and Mrs. Melville W. Hall, 86.229.10. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 86.229.10_front_bw.jpg)
Possibly Abelam. <em>Ancestral Figure (Ngwalndu)</em>, 20th century. Wood, pigment, 83 1/2 x 15 1/2 x 8 1/4 in. (212.1 x 39.4 x 21 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Marcia and John Friede and Mrs. Melville W. Hall, 86.229.10. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 86.229.10_front_bw.jpg)

Possibly Abelam. Ancestral Figure (Ngwalndu), 20th century. Wood, pigment, 83 1/2 x 15 1/2 x 8 1/4 in. (212.1 x 39.4 x 21 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Marcia and John Friede and Mrs. Melville W. Hall, 86.229.10. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 86.229.10_front_bw.jpg)

Possibly Abelam. <em>Ancestral Figure (Ngwalndu)</em>, 20th century. Wood, pigment, 83 1/2 x 15 1/2 x 8 1/4 in. (212.1 x 39.4 x 21 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Marcia and John Friede and Mrs. Melville W. Hall, 86.229.10. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 86.229.10_back_bw.jpg)

Possibly Abelam. Ancestral Figure (Ngwalndu), 20th century. Wood, pigment, 83 1/2 x 15 1/2 x 8 1/4 in. (212.1 x 39.4 x 21 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Marcia and John Friede and Mrs. Melville W. Hall, 86.229.10. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 86.229.10_back_bw.jpg)

Possibly Abelam. <em>Ancestral Figure (Ngwalndu)</em>, 20th century. Wood, pigment, 83 1/2 x 15 1/2 x 8 1/4 in. (212.1 x 39.4 x 21 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Marcia and John Friede and Mrs. Melville W. Hall, 86.229.10. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.86.229.10_print_front1_bw.jpg)

Possibly Abelam. Ancestral Figure (Ngwalndu), 20th century. Wood, pigment, 83 1/2 x 15 1/2 x 8 1/4 in. (212.1 x 39.4 x 21 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Marcia and John Friede and Mrs. Melville W. Hall, 86.229.10. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.86.229.10_print_front1_bw.jpg)

Possibly Abelam. <em>Ancestral Figure (Ngwalndu)</em>, 20th century. Wood, pigment, 83 1/2 x 15 1/2 x 8 1/4 in. (212.1 x 39.4 x 21 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Marcia and John Friede and Mrs. Melville W. Hall, 86.229.10. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.86.229.10_print_front2_bw.jpg)

Possibly Abelam. Ancestral Figure (Ngwalndu), 20th century. Wood, pigment, 83 1/2 x 15 1/2 x 8 1/4 in. (212.1 x 39.4 x 21 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Marcia and John Friede and Mrs. Melville W. Hall, 86.229.10. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.86.229.10_print_front2_bw.jpg)

Possibly Abelam. <em>Ancestral Figure (Ngwalndu)</em>, 20th century. Wood, pigment, 83 1/2 x 15 1/2 x 8 1/4 in. (212.1 x 39.4 x 21 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Marcia and John Friede and Mrs. Melville W. Hall, 86.229.10. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.86.229.10_print_back_bw.jpg)

Possibly Abelam. Ancestral Figure (Ngwalndu), 20th century. Wood, pigment, 83 1/2 x 15 1/2 x 8 1/4 in. (212.1 x 39.4 x 21 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Marcia and John Friede and Mrs. Melville W. Hall, 86.229.10. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.86.229.10_print_back_bw.jpg)

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Ancestral Figure (Ngwalndu)

Arts of the Pacific Islands

CULTURES Possibly Abelam; Possibly Arapesh
MEDIUM Wood, pigment
  • Place Collected: Kamangan Village, Maprik area, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea
    • DATES 20th century
    DIMENSIONS 83 1/2 x 15 1/2 x 8 1/4 in. (212.1 x 39.4 x 21 cm)  (show scale)
    COLLECTIONS Arts of the Pacific Islands
    ACCESSION NUMBER 86.229.10
    CREDIT LINE Gift of Marcia and John Friede and Mrs. Melville W. Hall
    CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION Tambaran figure. Ceremonial house figure form of a wooden openwork plaque-shaped structure with an anthropomorphic figure in the central section. The body of the figure is a thin vertical shaft with opposing hooks, one in the middle and three at the base. There is a concave disk just above the hooks at the base. The nose is pierced. The figure is flanked on either side by 5 and 6 avian heads, on right and left side respectively. Traces of red, white black and ochre paint throughout. The figure has two thin splayed, hook-shaped legs. Ears are pierced. Verso is plain. Condition: Crack on left side of head at top. Numerous vertical checks extending from top of head through face into chin region. Slight pitting on right side of plaque and at base. Slight erosion throughout.
    EXHIBITIONS
    MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view
    CAPTION Possibly Abelam. Ancestral Figure (Ngwalndu), 20th century. Wood, pigment, 83 1/2 x 15 1/2 x 8 1/4 in. (212.1 x 39.4 x 21 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Marcia and John Friede and Mrs. Melville W. Hall, 86.229.10. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 86.229.10_front_bw.jpg)
    IMAGE front, 86.229.10_front_bw.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph
    "CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.
    RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY
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    RECORD COMPLETENESS
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    Possibly Abelam. <em>Ancestral Figure (Ngwalndu)</em>, 20th century. Wood, pigment, 83 1/2 x 15 1/2 x 8 1/4 in. (212.1 x 39.4 x 21 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Marcia and John Friede and Mrs. Melville W. Hall, 86.229.10. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 86.229.10_front_bw.jpg)

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