Identifier:
196641
Description:
Carved wooden pole with various alternating panals of red and yellow dotted designs divided by white lines. One end has a central carved opening (stylized legs) and the other end left blank with no pigments (perhaps attached to another piece).;These poles are used in the Pukumani ceremony. Identified by Carol S. Ivory, Ph.D., Associate Professor Dept. of Fine Arts, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-7450; tel: 509.335.7043.;The Pukumani ceremony occurs approximately six months after the deceased has been buried. As Jane Goodale states, 'The Tiwi regard the Pukumani as the most important ceremony in a persons life in the world of the living, and even though the Mobuditi (spirit of one dead) has been released, the persons existence in the living world is not finished until the completion of the ceremony. To the Tiwi the entire focus of the ceremony is on the person now in the grave. This attitude results in the consistent variations in cast and script.' (Goodale, Jane 1971 Tiwi Wives, University of Washington Press, page 259-260). The performance of this ceremony ensures that the spirit goes from the living world into the spirit world. Prior to the ceremony in laws are commissioned to carve tall totemic poles. These are placed around the burial site during the ceremony. These poles symbolise the status and prestige of the deceased. The Pukumani ceremony allows Tiwi full expression of their grief. It is a public ceremony and provides a forum for artistic expression through song, dance, sculpture and body painting.
Materials:
Wood, Ochre
Dimensions:
7" h 6" w 5" d
Current Location Status:
In Storage
Collection Tier:
Tier 2
Source:
Gift Of The Australian People
Exhibit/Program:
Mysterious Voyages (February – May 2002)
Related Entity:
The Australian People (donor)
Related Object:
Related Place:
Tiwi Islands
