Proclaiming Heritage
Among the most important arts of the Austronesian peoples (who include today’s Indonesians, Filipinos, Polynesians, and others) are the carving of ancestor figures and the recitation of oral histories. The intersection of these arts preserves knowledge of the community’s heritage. The carved figures, often mounted in prominent locations in villages, serve as ever-present reminders of those who came before. By reciting genealogies and lists of place names, orators evoke the movements of ancestors and support the current leaders’ claims to authority. The ways of the ancestors are honored to secure their blessing, which promotes health, prosperity, and fertility in the community, fields, and fishing grounds. Although the works displayed here were mostly made in the nineteenth or early twentieth century, this outlook remains influential to varying degrees today in communities ranging from remote atolls to great urban centers.
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X63.642 Ceremonial house painting
X63.642 Ceremonial house painting
<< BackObject Name: Ceremonial house painting
Artist: Unknown
Culture: Iatmul peoples
Place of Origin: Tambanum village, Middle Sepik River, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea
Date/Era: Early or mid-20th century
Medium/Materials: Sago palm (Metroxylon sagu) spathe, pigment, wood, bamboo, plant fiber
Dimensions: L: 243 cm
Credit Line: Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of Dr. and Mrs. George Kennedy.
Accession Number: X63.642
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X64.599 Ngwaalndu figure, clan ancestor spirit
X64.599 Ngwaalndu figure, clan ancestor spirit
<< BackObject Name: Ngwaalndu figure, clan ancestor spirit
Artist: Unknown
Culture: Abelam peoples
Place of Origin: Maprik district, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea
Date/Era: Mid- to late 19th century
Medium/Materials:
Dimensions: H: 165 cm
Credit Line: Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of Dr. and Mrs. George Kennedy.
Accession Number: X64.599
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X64.686 Mask (bapa tagwa or bapa kumbu)
X64.686 Mask (bapa tagwa or bapa kumbu)
<< BackObject Name: Mask (bapa tagwa or bapa kumbu)
Artist: Unknown
Culture: Abelam peoples
Place of Origin: Maprik district, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea
Date/Era: Mid-20th century
Dimensions: H: 40.6 cm
Medium/Materials: Plant fiber, pigment, feathers
Credit Line: Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of Dr. and Mrs. George Kennedy.
Accession Number: X64.686
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X64.715 Female figure
X64.715 Female figure
<< BackObject Name: Female figure
Artist: Unknown
Place of Origin: Murik Lakes, Coastal Sepik region, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea
Date/Era: 19th century or earlier
Medium/Materials: Wood
Dimensions: H: 70 cm
Credit Line: Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of Dr. and Mrs. George Kennedy.
Accession Number: X64.715
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X64.843 Yam-harvest ritual figure (yina)
X64.843 Yam-harvest ritual figure (yina)
<< BackObject Name: Yam-harvest ritual figure (yina)
Artist: Unknown
Culture: Kwoma peoples
Place of Origin: Ambunti Mountains, Middle Sepik River, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea
Date/Era: Circa 1920s
Medium/Materials: Wood, pigment
Dimensions: H: 116 cm
Credit Line: Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Hursley.
Accession Number: X64.843
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X65.3102, X65.3103 Posts with ancestor figures
X65.3102, X65.3103 Posts with ancestor figures
<< BackNot Currently On View in Intersections
Object Name: Posts with ancestor figures
Artist: Unknown
Place of Origin: Leti Island, Southwest Moluccas, Indonesia
Date/Era: Probably 19th century
Dimensions: H: 175 cm
Medium/Materials: Wood
Credit Line: Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of the Wellcome Trust.
Accession Number: X65.3102, X65.3103
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X65.4326 Shield
X65.4326 Shield
<< BackObject Name: Shield
Artist: Unknown
Culture: Iatmul peoples
Place of Origin: Middle Sepik River, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea
Date/Era: Late 19th century or earlier
Medium/Materials: Wood, pigment
Dimensions: H: 158 cm
Credit Line: Fowler Museum at UCLA.
Accession Number: X65.4326
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X65.4990 Male figure
X65.4990 Male figure
<< BackNot Currently On View in Intersections
Male figure
Admiralty Islands, Papua New Guinea
19th-early 20th century
Wood, pigment
X65.4990; Gift of the Wellcome TrustQuick View -
X65.5679 Ancestor figures (adu zatua)
X65.5679 Ancestor figures (adu zatua)
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Object Name: Ancestor figures (adu zatua)
Artist: Unknown
Place of Origin: North Nias Island, Indonesia
Date/Era: Collected before 1907
Medium/Materials: Wood, plant fiber
Dimensions: W: 69 cm
Credit Line: Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of the Wellcome Trust.
Accession Number: X65.5679
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X65.7433 Doorjamb (jovo)
X65.7433 Doorjamb (jovo)
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Doorjamb (jovo)
New Caledonia
19th century
Wood
X65.7433; Gift of the Wellcome TrustQuick View -
X65.8157 Bin for storing millet
X65.8157 Bin for storing millet
<< BackNot Currently On View in Intersections
Object Name: Bin for storing millet
Artist: Unknown
Culture: Rukai peoples
Place of Origin: Taiwan
Date/Era: 19th to early 20th century
Medium/Materials: Wood, rattan
Dimensions: W: 106 cm
Credit Line: Fowler Museum at UCLA. Museum purchase.
Accession Number: X65.8157
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X65.8158 Architectural panel
X65.8158 Architectural panel
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Architectural Panel
Paiwan peoples
Taiwan
Early 20th century
Wood
H: 175.0 cm, W: 51.0 cm, D: 6.0 cm (H: 68.9 in, W: 20.1 in, D: 2.4 in)
Museum purchase. X65.8158Quick View -
X85.1072 Ancestor figure for house altar
X85.1072 Ancestor figure for house altar
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Object Name: Ancestor figure for house altar
Artist: Unknown
Place of Origin: Bawömataluo, Nias, Indonesia
Date/Era: Probably 1870s
Medium/Materials: Wood, cloth
Dimensions: H: 39.5 cm, W: 10.0 cm, D: 11.0 cm (H: 15.5 in, W: 3.9 in, D: 4.3 in)
Credit Line: Fowler Museum at UCLA. The Jerome L. Joss Collection.
Accession Number: X85.1072
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X85.1075 Ancestor figure
X85.1075 Ancestor figure
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Ancestor figure
Korwar
Cenderawasih Bay, West Papua (New Guinea), Indonesia
19th-early 20th century
Wood and glass beads
H: 26.3 cm, W: 11.5 cm, D: 15.3 cm (H: 10.4 in, W: 4.5 in, D: 6.0 in)
Fowler Museum at UCLA. The Jerome L. Joss Collection. X85.1075Quick View -
X86.3137 Offering post
X86.3137 Offering post
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Object Name: Offering post
Artist: Unknown
Culture: Tetun peoples
Place of Origin: Dafala, Belu, West Timor, Indonesia
Date/Era: Probably 19th century or earlier
Dimensions: H: 92.7 cm, W: 30.4 cm, D: 24.1 cm (H: 34.5 in, W: 11.9 in, D: 9.5 in)
Medium/Materials: Stone
Credit Line: Fowler Museum at UCLA. The Jerome L. Joss Collection.
Accession Number: X86.3137
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X86.3280 Hearth post
X86.3280 Hearth post
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Hearth post
Ifugao peoples
Northern Luzon, Philippines
19th-early 20th century
Wood
L: 90.2 cm, W: 18.4 cm (L: 35.5 in, W: 7.2 in)
Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of the Rogers Family Foundation. X86.3280Quick View -
X89.705 Sago storage jar (au)
X89.705 Sago storage jar (au)
<< BackObject Name: Sago storage jar (au)
Artist: Unknown
Cultural Group: Iatmul peoples
Place of Origin: Aibom, Chambri Lakes, Middle Sepik River, Papua New Guinea
Dimensions: H: 56.00 cm, DIAM: 54.00 cm
Materials Used: Unglazed earthenware, pigment
Credit Line and Accession Number: Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of the Wallace M. Ruff Trust. X89.705
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X91.5703a-d Canoe (tatara)
X91.5703a-d Canoe (tatara)
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Object Name: Canoe (tatara)
Artist: Unknown
Culture: Yami peoples
Place of Origin: Botel Tobago Island [Lan Yü], Taiwan
Date/Era: Early 20th century
Medium/Materials: Wood, paint, feathers, twine
Dimensions: L: 460.0 cm, W: 95.3 cm, H: 137.0 cm (L: 181.1 in, W: 37.5 in, H: 53.9 in)
Credit Line: Fowler Museum at UCLA. Anonymous gift.
Accession Number: X91.5703a-d
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X91.613a,b Ancestor figures
X91.613a,b Ancestor figures
<< BackNot Currently On View in Intersections
Object Name: Ancestor figures
Artist: Unknown
Cultural Group: Nage peoples
Place of Origin: Central Flores, Indonesia
Date: 19th-early 20th century
Dimensions: H: 57.50 cm, W: 18.50 cm, D: 13.00 cm
Materials Used: Wood
Credit Line and Accession Number: Fowler Museum at UCLA. The Jerome L. Joss Collection. X91.613a,b
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X96.8.43 Mask
X96.8.43 Mask
<< BackObject Name: Mask
Artist: Unknown
Place of Origin: Lower or Coastal Sepik region, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea
Date/Era: 19th century or earlier
Dimensions: H: 48 cm
Medium/Materials: Wood, paint
Credit Line: Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of Franklin D. and Judith H. Murphy.
Accession Number: X96.8.43
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