Bioma are figurative representations of how the residents of the Papuan Gulf believed spirits looked. Spirits were depicted in numerous ways, ranging from highly abstract figures with few naturalistic or physical elements to realistic depictions with exaggerated anatomical features. This figure has a classically rendered face, the arms are in a symmetrical position and the muscular legs suggest its ability to dance when embodied and activated by a spirit.

Provenance:
Entwistle, Paris 2007