Sepik ancestor

Rare shield-like representation of an ancestor • Keram and Yuat rivers, Lower Sepik, New Guinea • Bone, feathers, cane, shell, wood, and wax or resin • H. 156.5 cm • Private collection • Reproduced in Anthony JP Meyer 'Oceanic Art', © 1995 Köneman Verlags

Another representation of an ancestor • Keram river, Lower Sepik, New Guinea • Cane, pig tusks, shells, wood, cane, fibers, and wax or resin • H. 115,6 cm • Private collection

As a lightly over-modelled skull, featuring a pendulous nose, is attached to wickerwork frame on the representation of an ancestor (above left), the owner of a similar mask (above right) wanted to know whether there was a skull hidden in his piece. A good reason for doing a scan.

Video CT scan : 3D opaque VRT view

Video CT scan : 3D semi opaque VRT view

And indeed, although the scan revealed no embedded human skull or bone, it was a huge surprise to find eight small wooden figurines closely entwined with other materials such as bamboo sticks, necklaces made of cone-shaped shells, seeds, etc.

Video CT scan : 3D semi opaque VRT view with a frontal clipping plane

Video CT scan : 3D semi opaque VRT view with a frontal clipping plane — magnified view

To separate the figurines without damaging them, we used a virtual knife to cut away the surrounding material.

Although each one is different, these ancestor figures carved from a light wood share a number of features:

an over-modelled headdress probably made of a mix of clay and plant gum from the breadfruit tree (Artocarpus altilis), adorned with a crown of cowries laid flush (Cypraea moneta) and slightly overlapping, and occasionally slivers of mother-of-pearl or gunja beans (Abrus precatorius),