Producer unknown to us
Spirit Figure
Asia, Russia, Nanayskiy Rayon
End of 19th cent.
Wood; carved
Context of acquisition unknown to us
Purchased by the museum from J. F. G. Umlauff (ethnographic dealership) in 1900
NAs 440
Many people in the Amur region believe the world is divided into different realms, inhabited by benevolent and evil spirits as well as hybrid beings. Humans dwell in the middle realm. These realms influence one another, and daily life—particularly interactions with spirits—is shaped by numerous rules of conduct and taboos. Spirits, for example, can cause illness. A shaman acts as a mediator, attempting to contact the appropriate spirits to resolve issues for the affected individual.
This is not the protective or auxiliary spirit of a special shaman or shamaness, rather the spirit invoked has a special function for the community. In this case, it is supposed to help with births, hence the special shape of the body as an allusion to pregnancy. The figure is understood as a vessel for the spirit that can inhabit it. Spirit figures were stored in the vicinity of the house, regularly provided with food, and called upon for help in times of need, such as during illness. The creation of such figures followed the detailed descriptions given by shamans who encountered these spirits in their dreams.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the museum acquired an extensive collection of objects from the Amur region—including these spirit figures—from Heinrich C. Umlauff, a Hamburg-based dealer in natural history and ethnographic items. A key influence on the young Heinrich was his uncle, Carl Hagenbeck, the well-known animal dealer, zoo director, and organizer of the so-called ”human zoos.” Heinrich initially took over the ethnographic part of the business and, eventually, the entire family firm. From Hamburg, which had become a center for the trade in natural history and ethnographic objects in the second half of the 19th century, Heinrich and other dealers, such as Godeffroy, supplied many renowned museums around the world.
Marita Andó, Irma Schubert