Memorial pole (bisj)
20th century
Object PlacePapua New Guinea
Medium/TechniqueWood, pigment, vegetable fiber, beads, and feathers
Dimensions142.24 cm (56 in.)
Credit LineGift of William E. and Bertha L. Teel
Accession number1992.417
On View
Not on viewClassificationsSculpture
Collections
Asmat artists of New Guinea carved poles (bisj) as memorials to clan members killed during warfare. The poles were erected after successful counterattacks to avenge the deaths. These poles may be understood as canoes incorporating ancestral figures, which carried the spirits of clan members to the realm of the dead. The openwork projection at the top represents the canoe's exaggerated prow, but can also be interpreted as a phallus, alluding to male prowess. Large poles were set up outdoors and allowed to decay. Smaller examples, such as this one, were architectural elements in houses where men gathered for ceremonial and social activities.
ProvenanceMay 21, 1986, sold by Wayne Heathcote (dealer), New York, to William and Bertha Teel, Marblehead, MA; 1992, partial gift of William and Bertha Teel to the MFA; 2014, acquired fully with the bequest of William Teel to the MFA. (Accession Dates: June 30, 1992 and February 26, 2014)
20th–mid 20th century
mid to late 20th century
20th century
late 19th century
19th century
20th century
late 19th century
