Abelam bark painting
Artist Unidentified, Pacific Islander
20th century
Object PlacePapua New Guinea
Medium/TechniqueBark, paint
DimensionsOverall: 150 x 79 cm (59 1/16 x 31 1/8 in.)
Credit LineGift of Geneviève McMillan in memory of Reba Stewart
Accession number2009.2643
On View
Not on viewClassificationsPaintings
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The Abelam of the Sepik region of Papua New Guinea are known for their bark paintings. This flat painting may represent an nggwalndu, an ancestor spirit. The arms and legs are typically represented with W or M forms and pointed ovals are used to render the head. Various iconographic symbols associated with the nggwalndu may also be incorporated into the painting.
ProvenanceGeneviève McMillan (b. 1922 - d. 2008), Cambridge, MA; 2008, to the Geneviève McMillan and Reba Stewart Foundation, Cambridge; 2009, gift of the Geneviève McMillan and Reba Stewart Foundation to the MFA. (Accession Date: June 17, 2009)
Artist Unidentified, Pacific Islander
mid to late 20th century
Artist Unidentified, Pacific Islander
