These sculptures became known to the world in the late 1960s. They are now thought to be the oldest of all known works by Melanesian carvers. They were individually owned by men and assisted in successful hunting and war expedtions. Each aripa is thought to have a soul of its own. Before a hunt, the owner of the figure induces the soul of the aripa via a small offering, thereby insuring that it will hunt for the souls of game animals. These aripa also became memorials to their deceased owners and were kept in rock shelters. (Kaufmann 2003:22, 27, 66)

Provenance:
Wayne Heathcote, 2004
Sotheby's New York. May 17, 2002
Collected by Tom Slimmons, an Australian government officer working in the Sepik District in the 1960's.