Boards called hohao in Elema culture, were the embodiment of spirits that helped families in everyday life. Hohao were carved with representations of spirits to attract them to inhabit the boards. The boards were kept in family shrines and were reminders of the continual presence of spirits. This board represents a spirit in human form that danced as man when moved by clan spirits. British missionaries such as William Lawes, collected and photographed many hohao in the Elema area.

Provenance:
Galerie Argiles, Paris, 2006

Publishing History:
Alexander Martin. Art of the South Seas. London, 1970.