Oceania
Kiwai peoples, Papua New Guinea
Male Figure, Mimia
Wood, pigment, human hair
H. 36 in. (91.4 cm)
Raymond and Laura Wielgus Collection

Although three-dimensional figures are common in many parts of New Guinea, they are rare in the south, around the Gulf of Papua, where the Kiwai peoples are located. This figure was probably used in the Moguru rites, a multi-faceted annual ceremony to initiate boys and girls into adulthood and to promote the growth of the sago palm, a food staple, and the fertility of the community.