< Previous East Sepik Province Next >

Hook
East Sepik Province
19th/20th century
Wood, nassa shells
H. 74 cm
TC 391

In Sepik culture, hooks were both utilitarian and ceremonial. They kept food away from animals and visualized creation myths. This hook is the embodiment of the Iatmul creation story. In the beginning there was just water, a crocodile rose out of the primal sea and his back became the land. This hook depicts crocodile rising out of the water with ripples of waves following him and creating the human form. This hook, probably used to keep food safe, is also the quintessential representation of the origin of Iatmul culture.

Provenance:
Galerie Meyer, Paris 2006