Oceania
Asmat peoples, Irian Jaya
Seated Female Figure
Before 1913
Wood, pigment, seeds, fiber
H. 22 1/2 in. (57.2 cm)
Raymond and Laura Wielgus Collection

Beyond the representation of an ancestor, this figure had multiple associations for the Asmat. The pose with the elbows on the knees recalls the praying mantis, an insect which symbolizes head-hunting, formerly a common Asmat practice, because of the female's propensity to eat the male's head during mating. In addition, the pose recalls a non-human, malicious creature from Asmat mythology, as well as another myth in which the creator brings wooden figures to life.