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Ancestral Figure (Ngwalndu)

Arts of the Pacific Islands

On View: Great Hall, 1st Floor
These three Abelam works are all associated with the korumbo, a large ceremonial house for spirits. Every few years, Abelam men carve representations of ancestral figures in conjunction with the initiation ceremonies of young men. The figures represent the benevolent spirits, or ngwalndu, of individual clans and are considered responsible for clan prosperity. The figures are carved in the forest and brought into the korumbo, where they are covered with mud and painted.
CULTURE Abelam
MEDIUM Wood, pigment
DATES 20th century
DIMENSIONS 146 x 14 x 14 in. (370.8 x 35.6 x 35.6 cm)  (show scale)
MUSEUM LOCATION This item is on view in Great Hall, 1st Floor
ACCESSION NUMBER 81.164.2
CREDIT LINE Gift of Mrs. Melville W. Hall
RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY
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CAPTION Abelam. Ancestral Figure (Ngwalndu), 20th century. Wood, pigment, 146 x 14 x 14 in. (370.8 x 35.6 x 35.6 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mrs. Melville W. Hall , 81.164.2. Creative Commons-BY
IMAGE installation, 81.164.2_installation_bw.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph
"CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.
CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION Ceremonial house ("tambaran") figure is monumental in scale. At the top there is a male figure with two hornbill heads on top of the figure's head. All of the figure's anatomical details are clearly indicated. At his feet there is a small four-legged animal. Pigment traces. Condition: Fairly extensive surface erosion from top to bottom. Below the small animal there appears to have been another form that has been broken off. Checking throughout, particularly on left side of figure in head and abdomen region. Mounted on a black metal modern stand.
RECORD COMPLETENESS Best (83%)
Not every record you will find here is complete. More information is available for some works than for others, and some entries have been updated more recently. Records are frequently reviewed and revised, and we welcome any additional information you might have.

TAGS
{"cc_re__cc_re__cc_by_3_0": ["  \n              <div class=\"row tombstone-data-row\">\n          <strong>CREDIT LINE</strong>\n          Gift of Mrs. Melville W. Hall\r\n        </div>\n      \n              <div class=\"row tombstone-data-row\">\n          <strong>RIGHTS STATEMENT</strong>\n          <a id=\"toggle-rights-statement\">\n            Creative Commons-BY          </a>\n          \n                      <div id=\"rights-statement\">You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a <a href=\"http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/\" target=\"_blank\">Creative Commons license</a>. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply.<br /><br />Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please contact <a href=\"mailto:reproductions@brooklynmuseum.org\">reproductions@brooklynmuseum.org</a> (charges apply).<br /><br />For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the <a href=\"http://www.copyright.gov/\" target=\"_blank\">United St"], "copyright__copyright__copyright": ["ll animal there appears to have been another form that has been broken off. Checking throughout, particularly on left side of figure in head and abdomen region. Mounted on a black metal modern stand.\nRECORD COMPLETENESS Best (83%)\nNot every record you will find here is complete. More information is available for some works than for others, and some entries have been updated more recently. Records are frequently reviewed and revised, and we welcome any additional information you might have.\n\nTAGS", "ll animal there appears to have been another form that has been broken off. Checking throughout, particularly on left side of figure in head and abdomen region. Mounted on a black metal modern stand.\nRECORD COMPLETENESS Best (83%)\nNot every record you will find here is complete. More information is available for some works than for others, and some entries have been updated more recently. Records are frequently reviewed and revised, and we welcome any additional information you might have.\n\nTAGS", "ll animal there appears to have been another form that has been broken off. Checking throughout, particularly on left side of figure in head and abdomen region. Mounted on a black metal modern stand.\nRECORD COMPLETENESS Best (83%)\nNot every record you will find here is complete. More information is available for some works than for others, and some entries have been updated more recently. Records are frequently reviewed and revised, and we welcome any additional information you might have.\n\nTAGS", "ll animal there appears to have been another form that has been broken off. Checking throughout, particularly on left side of figure in head and abdomen region. Mounted on a black metal modern stand.\nRECORD COMPLETENESS Best (83%)\nNot every record you will find here is complete. More information is available for some works than for others, and some entries have been updated more recently. Records are frequently reviewed and revised, and we welcome any additional information you might have.\n\nTAGS", "ll animal there appears to have been another form that has been broken off. Checking throughout, particularly on left side of figure in head and abdomen region. Mounted on a black metal modern stand.\nRECORD COMPLETENESS Best (83%)\nNot every record you will find here is complete. More information is available for some works than for others, and some entries have been updated more recently. Records are frequently reviewed and revised, and we welcome any additional information you might have.\n\nTAGS", "ll animal there appears to have been another form that has been broken off. Checking throughout, particularly on left side of figure in head and abdomen region. Mounted on a black metal modern stand.\nRECORD COMPLETENESS Best (83%)\nNot every record you will find here is complete. More information is available for some works than for others, and some entries have been updated more recently. Records are frequently reviewed and revised, and we welcome any additional information you might have.\n\nTAGS", "ll animal there appears to have been another form that has been broken off. Checking throughout, particularly on left side of figure in head and abdomen region. Mounted on a black metal modern stand.\nRECORD COMPLETENESS Best (83%)\nNot every record you will find here is complete. More information is available for some works than for others, and some entries have been updated more recently. Records are frequently reviewed and revised, and we welcome any additional information you might have.\n\nTAGS", "ll animal there appears to have been another form that has been broken off. Checking throughout, particularly on left side of figure in head and abdomen region. Mounted on a black metal modern stand.\nRECORD COMPLETENESS Best (83%)\nNot every record you will find here is complete. More information is available for some works than for others, and some entries have been updated more recently. Records are frequently reviewed and revised, and we welcome any additional information you might have.\n\nTAGS", "ll animal there appears to have been another form that has been broken off. Checking throughout, particularly on left side of figure in head and abdomen region. Mounted on a black metal modern stand.\nRECORD COMPLETENESS Best (83%)\nNot every record you will find here is complete. More information is available for some works than for others, and some entries have been updated more recently. Records are frequently reviewed and revised, and we welcome any additional information you might have.\n\nTAGS", "ll animal there appears to have been another form that has been broken off. Checking throughout, particularly on left side of figure in head and abdomen region. Mounted on a black metal modern stand.\nRECORD COMPLETENESS Best (83%)\nNot every record you will find here is complete. More information is available for some works than for others, and some entries have been updated more recently. 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More information is available for some works than for others, and some entries have been updated more recently. Records are frequently reviewed and revised, and we welcome any additional information you might have.\n\nTAGS", "ll animal there appears to have been another form that has been broken off. Checking throughout, particularly on left side of figure in head and abdomen region. Mounted on a black metal modern stand.\nRECORD COMPLETENESS Best (83%)\nNot every record you will find here is complete. More information is available for some works than for others, and some entries have been updated more recently. Records are frequently reviewed and revised, and we welcome any additional information you might have.\n\nTAGS", "ll animal there appears to have been another form that has been broken off. Checking throughout, particularly on left side of figure in head and abdomen region. Mounted on a black metal modern stand.\nRECORD COMPLETENESS Best (83%)\nNot every record you will find here is complete. More information is available for some works than for others, and some entries have been updated more recently. Records are frequently reviewed and revised, and we welcome any additional information you might have.\n\nTAGS"]}