Producer unknown to us
Sculpture
Oceania, Micronesia, Palau
Prior to 1908
Wood, carved
Dr. med. Ludwig Born (government physician) acquired the figure while working on the Yap archipelago in the Pacific from 1903–1908
Donation to the museum by Born in 1908
Mi 2289
This type of female figure was commonly seen on the facade of the bai, or men's house, in the Palau Islands. The men's houses were painted with figures in white, yellow, red, and black. They depicted roosters, shell money, bats, fish, sharks, and scenes of daily life. Men's houses were built by well-paid, specialized craftsmen. It was the only type of house that was so elaborately decorated. The symbolism focused on fertility and prosperity. Their gables were painted with figures of women, often with their legs spread. These figures were replaced by the Spanish Catholic missionaries, who considered them to be indecent. Government physician Ludwig Born, MD, probably appropriated the figure while working on the Yap Archipelago in the Pacific between 1903 and 1908.
Birgit Scheps-Bretschneider