Plaque, mid 20th century
Abelamexpand_more
Wood, pigmentexpand_more
The John Cowles Family Fundexpand_more 2004.107.7
On View in Gallery 256expand_more
During ceremonies, the Abelam people 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, and represented in characteristically bright colors and rounded forms. Themes of procreation and ancestral origins are typical in spirit houses. The two hornbills at the top of the panel are connected with the spirit world and are commonly associated with ancestor figures.
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- 2004.107.7
- Curator Approved
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