Stopper for a Lime Container in the Form of a Bird
19th century
Iatmul
Arts of the Pacific Islands
Long, transverse bamboo flutes are used throughout the Sepik region. They are usually played in pairs by men and are used in a ritual context reserved for fully initiated men. The most important rituals are accompanied by flute melodies that represent the voices of mythical birds and, through them, certain incarnations of ancestors. The flutes are decorated on the upper ends with carved stoppers, which in turn are further decorated with brightly colored leaves and feathers.
- Maker/Artist
- Iatmul
- Classification
- Ornament
- Formatted Medium
- Wood, clay, pigment, fiber, shell
- Locations
- Place made: East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea
- Dimensions
- 14 1/2 x 2 3/4 x 1 1/8 in. (36.8 x 7 x 2.9 cm)
- Departments
- Arts of the Pacific Islands
- Accession Number
- 51.197.1
- Credit Line
- Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Alastair B. Martin, the Guennol Collection
- Exhibitions
- The Guennol Collection: Cabinet of Wonders
- Rights Statement
- Creative Commons-BY
- Museum Location
- This item is not on view
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